A Life Beginning
by ears
Summary: AU. Harry is free and doing what he wishes.. stumbling along the way at times.. some OCs.. Muggles, ensemble, primarily Harry and Hermione. R/OC, GW/DC, others.
1. An End and A New Beginning

Chapter One-A New Beginning

Chapter One-A New Beginning.

Hogwarts: The day following the last battle.

"Where are you going to go now, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I'm going to go check out Grimmauld. I wonder if Krecher survived, or if the house was attacked."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"You don't have to, you can stay here with Ron, its okay."

"Ron's rather busy right now, look his Mum is all over him." Molly Weasley was indeed holding her baby boy.

Ron looked at his friend's. Hermione motioned towards Harry and then the door.

Ron nodded and Harry and Hermione ventured out of the old castle, now battlefield to return to a world they had been on the run from for the past ten months.

They apparated to number Twelve Grimmauld Place, London.

Grimmauld was ransacked, 'the charms protecting it must have fallen sometime during their time on the run,' Harry thought.

"Oh Harry, I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," he muttered.

"I wonder if Krecher made it."

Harry pushed the door open and entered the house of the family Black. They discovered Krecher in his cubby hole off the kitchen, dead.

Hermione frowned at the sight, not able to say anything at the demise of the miserable creature.

"Think he's still stable enough to put him up like his forefathers?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged, and Harry mounted the head of the old elf on a transfigured plate. Krecher was added to the realm of house elf heads along the stairs of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

Harry and Hermione exited the old house and started walking down Grimmauld Place towards the tube station.

"Harry, what are you going to do now? Where will you live?"

"I'll rent a flat or something," he shrugged and a thought struck him: I am free! "What're you going to do?"

"I have to go to Australia."

"Are you and Ron an item now?"

"I don't know."

"Okay."

"Why?"

"Just curious is all."

"Are you and Ginny getting back together?"

"I'm not ready for that right now, if ever."

Hermione chuckled.

"What?"

"I concur, I'm eighteen years old and have years to decide who I want and what I want to do."

"So no wedding bells for you and Ron then?" Harry smirked.

"After one kiss, NO."

"Why'd you do it then?"

"I guess I was being idiotic in the heat of battle," Hermione professed honestly.

"Really, you better tell him that before Mrs. Weasley has your wedding planned and names for grandchildren."

Hermione groaned, "I'm bloody eighteen years old, too young for that."

"Yeah, you old fart you."

"Alright wee little Harrykins, where are we going?"

"I don't know, where are we going?"

They both laughed, "Shall we ride the tube somewhere then?"

"Sure, where should we go though, I haven't been anywhere besides the Alley and the Zoo."

"Seriously, no field trips to museums or anything?"

"The Dursley's didn't think it was worth paying for me to go on any."

And the two teenagers enjoyed there day going around the city, riding the tube and visiting random attractions Hermione said Harry MUST see as he missed out on field trips as a school kid. They returned to Hogwarts castle that night much lighter then when they had left.

Harry Potter under the cover of darkness, nearly dawn, left Hogwarts Castle, a few days later. He did not want a fuss about where he was going, his friend's were all sleeping in classrooms set aside for the injured and those taking care of them.

"Harry?"

"What Hermione?" He asked.

"Are you leaving for good now?"

"Yeah, I have to get out of here."

"Okay, I'll walk with you, I have to get to Heathrow."

"Going to find your parents?"

"Yes."

"Ron's not going with you then?"

"No, he's not."

"Does he know your leaving?"

"He's not my keeper, Harry."

"Hey, hey, I didn't mean it like that. He's not going with you just in case there's trouble?"

"Nope."

"Um, uh.. Did you want me to come?" He asked awkwardly.

"No Harry, that's alright. I got myself into this mess and I'll get myself out of it."

They walked in silence for the last few minutes.

"Good luck, Hermione." He told her as they reached the gates of Hogwarts.

"Thanks Harry," and she hugged him and he returned it.

Both apparated to London, she to Heathrow Airport, he to Diagon Alley and the wizarding bank.

Harry Potter waited in the Alley outside of Gringotts Bank until it opened. He stood in the queue for the first available Teller and waited while the Goblin made sure everything was in order to start the day. The Goblin gave Harry a glare when he was ready for him.

"What do you need, Sir?"

"Yes, can I have galleons from my vault converted to uh 5,000 muggle pounds and do you have any sort of Cheque book or debit card so I wouldn't have to carry around so much cash?"

"We do, your key sir."

Harry handed the Goblin his key.

After a few minutes the Goblin returned the key, as well as handing Harry a cheque book and a debit card, both with his name on them.

"You can spell your address on to your cheques and here is your cash, the conversion fee has been taken out of your vault."

"Alright, thank you, have profitable day." And Harry left Gringotts, the Alley and went out into the muggle world, where he sat in a diner drinking a cup of tea while looking through a newspaper adverts for available flats.

Harry Potter is going off on his own for the first time, no minders, no relatives, no more dark lord hanging above his head.


	2. Weasleys, Hermione Returns, Harry's Life

Chapter Two: Weasley's and Harry's New Life

Chapter Two:_ Weasley's, Hermione's Return and Harry's New Life_

Ginevra Weasley woke up in the classroom that was housing her family and stretched. A happy new day is upon her, mostly because any day is happy now that the dark threats have been defeated. Ginny will as soon as she is officially graduated from Hogwarts, well, what with the mess its in now, when she can she will go to any and all Quidditch tryouts offered to her, whether her Mum liked it or not. Ginny's goal in life was to be a kick-arse professional Quidditch player.

Ron Weasley sat up, "Hey Gin, been up long?"

"No."

"Want to go get breakfast?"

"Okay."

The youngest Weasley siblings quietly made there way out of the classroom and down to the Great Hall.

Ron piled his plate full of Hogwarts grub after months of the slop Hermione called food. To anyone but Ron the food was probably quite good, but it wasn't up to Ron's high or low standards depending how one looks at food.

The rest of the surviving Weasley's came in as the Ron and Ginny ate.

"Morning," From Ginny as Ron just said something unintelligible to his arriving family.

"Where're Harry and Hermione this morning?" Molly asked.

Ginny shrugged.

"'Ermione et Ausmalia pharents an bloh 'Arry it."

"What was that?"

Ron chewed and swallowed. "Hermione went to Australia and I don't know where Harry went."

"Did he go with her?"

Ron shrugged before resuming shoving his face.

- - -

Harry caught the tube around to scope out the neighborhoods of his potential flats. He finally settled on one that didn't look to be in an area of complete dumps. The flat itself was nothing to grin about, on the fourth floor, but the neighborhood's quite nice. Sure he had to share a loo with four other flats, but it beat the Dursley's and Grimmauld.

- - -

Harry realized that Hermione's museum tour (followed by his own subsequent trips to the library) was in hindsight quite prudent as he now had ideas as to what to put up on his walls. Goya's "Saturn Devouring His Son," would not be going up, while magnificent it was much too terrifying especially after Harry's life so far. Perhaps some nice Degas' Dancers, or something.

Harry's flat came complete with tiny kitchen area, sink, ancient refrigerator, probably from the 1960's or 70's. At least the flat was not carpeted; no one wants to know what that would look like! His apartment was tiled in simple black tile, tarnished and beaten up from years of use. The entirety of his one room flat was painted a light blue, that made Harry quite happy with this flat after staring at many in glaring white paint.

Now what do I need to make this place livable? Hmm, well I need some cooking stuff. A bed. Food. A bookcase. Perhaps a couch or someplace to sit, A table.

He removed his shrunken trunk from his pocket and re-enlarged it, he now had a built in coffee table. He unpacked his clothing and hung them in the small cupboard; fortunately he did not have too many clothes so everything was contained in the clothes cupboard.

Harry looked through the adverts to see if any shops were having any sort of sale that week, before he went off in search of furnishings for his new flat.

- - -

The Weasley's returned to the Burrow the day following Hermione and Harry's departure, set to rebuild.

- - -

Harry spent the first two weeks in his flat decorating and thinking. He pondered the what if's of his life. What does he want to do now that he's free? To work at the ministry, to be an Auror? Absolutely not, I've fought bad guys for the last seven years, why would I want to do that for the rest of my life? I don't want to, I want to…

I want to be free from others choices, to make my own whether they are good or bad.

I've taken a step towards that, being on my own here, finding my own place, leaving everyone behind.

I need to be away from all of them and the poking and prodding in different directions. Dumbledore directed my life, so what? That I would be easy to push around? I've been that way, why, its ridiculous that I get angry and over such petty things, but I also have great control from what he did.. But would it not have made more sense for me to be trained rather then to stumble upon things and hope everything turns out dandy?

Mum and Dad, what would I have been like if they had raised me? I know now they were not perfect like everyone seems to portray them. No one is perfect, everyone has there idealized visions of them since they died so young. Dad seems like he was quite an ass when he was in school, what does that say about Mum dating him? Did he truly grow up and she fell in love with him? That must be it, but that also seems to be everyone's story. I still don't know and now I will never know, Lupin is gone! And Tonks, poor Teddy, the little guy is like me now, but at least he has a grandmother who loves him. But Andromeda's lost so much, Ted and Tonks so quickly… I should go visit them. Do anything I can to help her.

Snape and Mum were best friend's, I suppose that explains some, but leaves so many questions! Dammit, why did he have to die when I have so many things to ask him? My Dad was such an ass to him, no wonder he was so sad by Mum dating and marrying him after all the torment he went through from Dad and Sirius and Lupin and Wormtail. But he sure was a brilliant spy, he fooled Lord Voldemort! He fooled a man who fooled and tricked others oh so well. Though Snape certainly did not help me learn occulmency any, jackass. He was good and bad, a sad cruel man, who saved Dumbledore an agonizing death from a horcrux, hmm… At least he let Neville and the other's live.. That helps a bit even though for all those years he was so horrible.

- - -

Hermione did not have an easy time in Australia, her parent's were quite displeased with her and sent her back to England so that they could think things through, decide if they wanted to stay or to return.

Hermione apparated from a woman's restroom at Heathrow to the Burrow. As expected the Weasley's were home.

"Hi Hermione, Ron's over there putting up shingles," Arthur Weasley gestured around the house as he wrestled with a garden knome for his bucket of paint.

"Hi Mister Weasley, How's the rebuild coming?"

"Oh it'll be fine, everyone's around doing something. Well of course Bill's at home with Fleur."

Hermione nodded and went off to find Ron.

"Hi Ron."

"Hermione, what Harry's not been with you?" Ron greeted her as he was levitating shingles to the roof.

"No, should he be?"

Ron shrugged, "I haven't seen him in two weeks, where've you been?"

"Australia. Harry didn't go with you?"

"No, why would Harry be with me?"

"Well, I thought he went to Australia with you. I guess I recall now that's where you went, its been rather busy here."

"I can see that, last I heard the Burrow was nearly rubble. I did see him before I left but I assumed he was just heading out for the day."

"Oh right. How're things?"

"Just fixing up the ol' Burrow is all."

"And the rest of your family?"

"Mum and George are pretty torn up. Percy actually said he'd help George reopen the shop, can you believe that!"

Hermione nodded,"Well, I have to go home and get settled and such, lots of paperwork to do."

"Have fun with that, cheerio Hermione."

"Bye Ron." And she apparated away as Ron levitated nails to the roof and directed them to stick to the shingles, before beginning a hammer charm.

- - -

Where has Harry gone?

Hermione reappeared at the house she grew up in and wondered what to do next. I have all the paperwork done. What now. Where did Harry go? Does he want to be found? Hmm, she dialed for the operator.

"Hi could I have the residence of Harry Potter."

"Harry James Potter."

"Okay, twenty-five of them, alright can I have them all?"

She wrote down the numbers and addresses to twenty-five Harry J. Potter's listed in the London area.

**AN**_: This story is semi-written out, a smattering of ideas that I'm tying together here and there, not entirely sure where it will go, nor the length, though I am hoping to finish before autumn, when my final year of undergrad begins. Updates may either be fast or slow, I have an internship all summer, plus an on-campus job. If you didn't already know, it is __**AU**__, NO EPILOGUE. _There will be minor characters that are my own creation from time to time.__

_**Disclaimer: I do not own this, if I did the epilogue would not have happened and perhaps there would've been more continuity between books 1-5 and 6 and 7. There will be minor characters that are my own creation from time to time. **_


	3. Finding Harry, the day after and Neville

Chapter Three-Finding Harry, the day after and Neville

Chapter Three-_Finding Harry, the day after and Neville. _

Half way down the list Hermione reached the proper Harry.

"Hello."

"HARRY!"

"Hermione?"

"Did you know there're twenty-five Harry James Potter's in the London area listed?"

"I didn't, where are you?"

"Right outside your door actually."

"I'll buzz you up then."

"Thanks," and they both hung up, Harry hitting the button by the door that let her in.

After a few minutes, there was a knock at his door.

"Hi Harry," she hugged him.

"Hermione, rather knew you'd find me... Eventually." And he locked the door behind her.

"Nice place you got here."

He grinned, "It's a shit hole, eh?"

They both laughed, before Harry got serious. "The Weasley's don't know you're here right?"

"No, I was just trying to find you. I mean I went over there this morning, that's all. They were working on the Burrow."

"Ah, so I'm guessing you and Ron aren't together?"

"As far as I'm concerned, no. You and Ginny?"

"No, we broke up over a year ago remember?"

"Yeah, just didn't know if anything changed."

"Would I be here if things had? I don't want any relationships right now, I just want to live my own sodding life, the Weasley's wouldn't understand that."

Hermione nodded.

"When are you and Ginny getting married, dear," Harry parroted Molly Weasley. "I'm eighteen fucking years old and dated her for two weeks, never Molly, never!"

"I understand, fortunately Ron, except for the staring that one day hasn't mentioned anything about dating and I'm grateful for it. I wouldn't be surprised if Lavender declares the old pureblood rites and stakes claim to marry him."

"Why's that?" Harry asked confused.

"Oh, according to wizarding tradition if you sleep with a witch or wizard before marriage your partner can claim you for marriage."

"Yikes."

"I agree. You didn't sleep with Ginny did you?"

"NO!"

"Good, I'm taking it you didn't know about that?"

"Not at all, did you sleep with Ron?"

"No and I think you saw the extent of our forays into a relationship."

"Did I? Well, um, during the horcrux hunt, since we're being pretty honest here, Ron made me swear I had no romantic interest in you."

"Were you lying?"

"Of course, but he didn't bloody well know that."

"Yeah, he did the same to me, hell nearly anything with a pulse is attractive most days, right?"

Harry agreed sheepishly.

"Do you have any food?"

"Yeah, would you like some eggs?"

"Sounds good." And they talked like the old friend's they are, catching up on the last two weeks and beyond.

"What're you going to do about your parents?"

"Honestly I don't know. If they come back I'm betting they'll toss me out for what I did to them."

"You can always stay here."

"Can I really?"

"Of course, you're my best friend. Would you like a beer?"

"That'd be nice."

After drinking all of Harry's beer, they were laughing like mad. "Harry I don't think I'm making it home tonight."

"Tha's fine, sleep with me," he said as he stripped down to his boxers and fell onto his bed.

"Okay, and she borrowed a pair of shorts and climbed in beside him and they both slept through the party going on above them, one exhausted from being kept up by the neighbors the night before and the other from her travels and the stress they entailed.

- - -

Harry woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs frying.

He sat up and asked, rather excitedly, "You bought bacon?"

"Yeah, all you had in here was eggs and some kippers."

Harry shrugged, "Yeah, I need to go grocery shopping."

"So what have you been doing these last few weeks?" Hermione asked as she pushed around the scrambled eggs.

"Oh! What's in the eggs?"

"Cheese and spinach."

"That sounds brilliant!"

"Now your sounding like Ron. I thought you knew how to cook?"

"I do and I thought you could only make that crap you made on the hunt?"

"I didn't think Ron would appreciate this."

"I don't think he would either. He would wonder why there's green stuff in his eggs, 'is it bogies?'" Harry asked in a passable imitation of Ron.

They both laughed, as Hermione served up two plates of eggs and bacon and they sat at Harry's counter and ate.

"So'd you find the loo alright?" Harry asked her as he rinsed his plate off in the sink before going to sit on his couch.

"Oh, yeah. How many other people are you sharing that thing with?" Hermione asked as she rinsed her plate off in the sink before going to sit with him.

"The people upstairs, not sure how many of them there, plus their neighbor, she seems like a nice old lady, and the family of six across the hall."

"Six, in one of these!"

"Oh, no, they have three bedrooms."

"That's good, has to be a tight squeeze still."

"I'd imagine it is."

"I think we had better bathroom facilities at Hogwarts."

"We did, but if I never used the loo my neighbors might think I'm weird."

Hermione laughed, "Oh Harry!"

"What?"

"You are weird!"

"So are you!"

"I know and I'm happy about it. So what have you been up to these last couple weeks?"

"The truth or the vanquisher of dark wizard's answer?"

She gave him a look.

"Soul searching mostly, what do I want to do now that I'm free. The past, possible futures, what will make me most happy. You gave me quite the idea on our expedition though."

"Really, you want to be a circus performer now?"

Harry laughed a genuine laugh, "No," he laughed some more, "No, absolutely not, though the Dursley's would love that! It'd explain why I'm so odd to the neighbors."

"What did you really discover? I'm guessing since your actually talking so far you are going to share this with me?"

"Of course I am, you're my best friend! I've come to realize that sending me to the Dursley's was a good idea by Dumbledore, but at the same time why couldn't I have learned the same things in a loving environment. You'd think he wanted to make me Tom Riddle Part II with the abuse I endured." Harry spoke frankly.

"But you came out above that."

"I did, somehow, most of the time I don't even know how I turned out to be a good person. Well I believe I'm good."

"You are Harry, the best I know."

"I mean, who puts a child with people who hate what he is? Lock him in a cupboard, even though he's family! Who does that, why would anyone do that?"

"I don't know, Harry." She answered him sadly.

"Though I am glad I didn't grow up with people worshipping me. I couldn't stand myself if I was a spoiled brat like Dudley or Malfoy."

Hermione nodded along, letting Harry talk.

"But wasn't there someone, anyone, some family friend, anyone, who would at least treat me like a human being? Lupin wouldn't have treated me like a little prince. Heck Mad-Eye even, at least then I'd have learned a few things!"

"Like proper wand storage, or how to not shoot off your buttocks?"

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed.

Hermione giggled, "Harry, I'm just glad you turned out so well. You would probably have turned out brilliantly no matter who raised you, even if Voldemort kidnapped you!"

Harry laughed, "Thanks, I might be dark then though."

"I'm not sure you could be a dark wizard, Harry. Your just too good, too you."

"Is that good or bad?"

"I'm glad to know you, Harry."

"Are you dying?" Harry asked outrageously.

"Geez, I hope not I'm only eighteen."

- - -

A Week Earlier:

Neville and his Gran went home to Longbottom Manor after their battle wounds were healed.

"Neville, I'm so proud of you!"

"Gran! You've told me a thousand times already."

"I know dear, but you were brilliant! And you are going to make a fine Auror."

"Thanks Gran."

"Are you sure that's what you really want to do? You are so splendid with plants."

"Yes Gran, I'm positive now that I want to be an Auror. Now if you had told me two years ago I was going to the Auror School, I would've thought you were mad. But now I can't wait, I'm positive that's what I want to do! I can always go into Herbology when my career as an Auror is over, Gran and it's a great hobby." His Grandmother smiled proudly at him and Neville was finally sure that she was truly proud of him. He is also thrilled about beginning his adult life.

- - -

_AN:__ Over the course of this story it will jump around between characters, like this jump to Neville.. I'm not sure who will be visited or how many more time jumps, but there will be more.. I know one is about a year or two, after everything gets settled.. Any suggestions let me know. Thanks for reading, time for me to get a few hours of sleep, hopefully the bass upstairs has stopped! –ears _


	4. FOWTDA7YIMSAWTLAAMA

Chapter Four- Figuring out what to do after seven years in magic school and wanting to live as a muggle again

Chapter Four- _Figuring out what to do after seven years in magic school and wanting to live as a muggle again._

Hermione walked into their flat one day to Harry fiddling around on the computer she had brought over.

"Come here, come 'ere quick!" Harry called her over excitedly.

The solitaire cards were all flying across the screen.

"Yeah?" Hermione asked confused, before it dawned on her. "You've never played solitaire before?"

"Not on a computer, this is amazing!"

Hermione laughed, "I guess where you went to primary school they never really got into computer's yet, huh."

"I'd only used one a few times before you brought this one."

"Enjoying the internet?"

"Yeah! Luna emailed me."

"Luna Lovegood?"

"I was surprised too. The Quibbler even has a website, look."

Harry brought up the page.

"Wow, is that legal?"

"They figure that there wacky enough that any muggle that stumbles across it will just think it's a joke."

"Wow, so their not entirely serious with everything they print?"

"I guess. Do you know how to take the necessary exams or is there a way to make wizarding records muggle.. Well I suppose I have to take N.E.W.T.S. for that, damn there goes my idea."

"Why do you ask… I've been wondering the same thing. The ministry is also setting up independent testing sites all over the British Isles for the Seventh year students who's year was interrupted. We can go take them there."

"Excellent, when?"

"Just have to send in this parchment, I received a copy by owl post the other day when I was out. Lucky I was in the middle of a park or someone would've thought I was barmy." She pulled out her wand and replicated the parchment. "Here you go, Harry. I'll turn them in if you like, I'm going that way tomorrow. Lunch with Neville."

"Cool. How is Neville doing?"

"He's going into the Auror Corps."

"Really! I thought he loved his plants too much for that, but then again he sure has found a knack for defense the last few years."

"You sure wanted to be one fifth year."

"Only because I thought that was all I was good at. I'm sick of fighting the dark side." Harry laughed.

"Star Wars pop in your head?"

"Yeah."

"What is it that you want to do?"

"I'm thinking of applying to university."

"Really and go into what?"

"Not entirely sure," Harry shrugged, "I have the resources to take and discover whatever I wish so I'm not going to worry about that."

"Lucky bastard, I'll be drowning in student loans."

"I can help you out."

"We'll see when I get there, that's only if I decide to go to graduate school or out of Europe."

"That's true, it would be fun to travel the world. We could do a year abroad. Heck, we could just move abroad and explore."

"Do you have a passport, Harry?"

"Not yet, but I applied for one already."

"You sure are on the ball now. Why weren't you ever like this in school?"

"I suppose Ron and Voldie."

"True, Ron isn't the best influence when it comes to studying or getting anything done, great if you want to escape that for a bit. He is rather distracting from work, how is he ever going to hold down a job?"

"Well, for him I'm betting something in Quidditch or the family joke business, if George'll have him. Never know he may surprise us all some day."

Hermione laughed at that, "Anything you're interested in trying out?"

"Art History."

"Really?"

"Yep, I know pretty much as far as you can go from Hogwarts and there curriculum, but I've been reading art books from the library the last few weeks."

"I guess you really did enjoy the museums!"

"I did! What are you thinking about studying?"

"Law, or something in the humanities, not entirely sure, nothing in the sciences since Hogwarts pushed us much too far behind on those. Possibly Classical Languages, I have a fairly good knowledge of Latin now, and some runes, so we'll see."

"Hermione Granger the Anthropologist, or something similar?"

"Perhaps."

"Maybe you should talk to Bill Weasley about some of the hieroglyphics he had to translate in Egypt.. Or did he not do that only the curse breaking, would he have to know what's written to know what to break?"

"So perhaps I should join Gringotts?"

"If that's what you want."

"I've never seen you this relaxed, Harry, its amazing!"

"Why thank you, now go read a book so I can keep playing this bloody addicting game."

"Hey, I wasn't going to read a book! I was thinking about making us dinner, you prat."

"Is it that time already?"

"Sure is."

"What're you making?"

"Pasta."

"Is that all you know how to make?"

"Pretty much." And they both laughed.

"Maybe we should take some cooking classes?"

"Probably a good idea if we want to live on something besides pasta and eggs."

"We are better at breakfast foods then dinner, how did we end up being the two people who can make wicked breakfast but shitty dinner?"

She shrugged and pulled out the ingredients from the refrigerator and cupboards.

"Is there still pasta sauce in the fridge or freezer?" Hermione called to Harry across the room.

"Should be in the freezer, just defrost it in a pot of boiling water."

"I know. Maybe we should invest in a microwave?"

"We don't have the room, dear." He said offhand moving onto the book he had been reading before getting distracted by solitaire.

"Dear?"

"I don't know, Do you need any help?"

"I'll let you know if I do," and they both went back to what they were doing.

_AN: I'm working on maintaining a chapter cushion, I have about three chapters beyond this one done so far, will put another up after I get another written, or not.. Not sure how much I'll get out during the week, internship later today, work T/Th.., putting up a new show this week (I have work study at the campus Art Museum), plus dealing with my new illness (well finally have some help to get it treated before it gets worse then it is) that I have to get to the Doc's to find out exactly what it is and start treating it. I'm also tossing around new painting ideas, so if I get going on that chapters beyond the three, will probably be delayed (I'm a painter), I just finished one this morning, want to utilize as much time as I can in painting this summer since I won't have the time during the school year. Thank you for reading! -ears. _


	5. Major Change and New Friends

Chapter Five-

_Chapter Five__-Major Change and New Friends_

Nearly Two Years later:

"Hermione, I think I've found my calling!" Harry greeted her as he entered the flat they have shared for the past two years.

Hermione looked up from the book she was reading, "Really what?"

"I want to be a potter!"

"Harry, you are a Potter."

Harry laughed, very amused. "No, no, you know I'm in that ceramics class, right? I want to be that kind of potter."

"That's excellent, Harry!"

"I know, I know, this is what the third major change I've made in the last two years?"

Hermione laughed, "That it is. Are we still meeting Pat and Jules tonight?"

"Yeah, and I'll tell them the good news!"

-- -

Pat and Jules have been friends of Harry and Hermione's since Hermione met Jules in one of her classes during their second term of university.

Jules, like Hermione is studying law. Pat is studying Art and Psychology and is surely going to razz Harry about his major change.. from Art History and a few things in between to Ceramics, and with only the end of their second year of university coming who knows how many more times he will pick up and drop majors or concentrations as he goes.

But Harry being Harry and the positive Post-Voldemort wizard economy and his money mostly residing in the wizarding world doing so much better then the muggle one, Harry's alright with going to school for years if he eventually ends finding something he loves to do.

-- -

Harry and Hermione caught the tube to the pub where they were meeting Jules and Pat.

"Hermione, Harry!" Jules greeted his friend's as he saw them approach the front of the pub.

Jules is an inch or two over six feet, so a few inches taller then Harry, has reddish brown hair, blue eyes and is neither too heavy or too skinny. He is wearing a button down striped blue shirt and grey trousers. Pat is shorter then Harry and taller then Hermione, has black hair, brown eyes and is wearing an orange jumper and blue jeans.

"Whoa Patty, is your jumper bright enough?" Harry joked, he and Hermione reaching their friends.

"Shut it, Harry!" She replied. "How do you deal with him, Hermione?"

"Oh, he's much too afraid of me, Pat."

Harry laughed. "How's it going Jules?"

"Oh, I'm just thrilled I don't have to go back to my internship till Monday!"

"That bad?"

"No, its not bad, its just so much busy work. Next week I get to research cases so it'll get better."

"And why is it that I beat out overachiever Hermione J. Granger for an internship?"

"Hey, hey, can't I take a break every once in awhile?"

"That's not like you, Hermione." Pat answered her.

"That's true, Hermione. I've known you for nine years now, you my dear have never slowed down."

"Well, perhaps the explanation is that's taking a toll on me? Plus I thought we were travelling this summer."

"True and I cannot wait!" Harry smiled, lost in his own world.

The other three laughed at him, "Are we going to go in or what, mates?" Jules asked.

"Hey Harry."

"Hmm?"

"Come on, lets go in." Jules said as Hermione pulled him along into the pub.

Pat dragged Harry up to the bar to get drinks, so Jules and Hermione could talk shop.

"Where're we going Patty?"

"Don't you want a pint, Harry?"

"Oh right," He grinned lopsidedly.

"Ah, Harry were you always so in the clouds?"

"Nah, wasn't really able when I was younger."

"Yeah; The rough childhood and rigorous prestigious boarding school?"

"Pretty much." Harry grinned again and paid for his and Hermione's pints, as Pat paid for Jules' and her own.

Back at the table.

"What is going on between you two, you fuck him and send him into today's stupor?"

"Jules, come on!"

"What? You're obviously attracted and live on top of the other in that flat of yours."

"Come on Jules, just drop it."

"You two must be bleeding saints sharing a bed and not doing anything."

"What makes you think nothings happened?"

"Your holding out on me?" Jules' eyes lit up as he grinned.

"If I was I wouldn't tell."

"Come on, nothing?"

"Not saying anything."

"Hermione!" Jules pleaded.

"What about you and Pat?"

"Hermione, we're an open book. You've known about us since we started dating. Harry bloody introduced us!"

"We're thinking about getting a new place."

"Really, after two years in that hole?"

"Yes, after two years in that hole. Can't complain since it doesn't cost much."

"You have practically a mini fridge!"

"So."

Jules laughed, "Start looking at new places yet?"

"Just in the adverts."

"Any specifications, there's an apartment opening in Pat and my building next month."

"What's it like?"

"I think it's a one bedroom, maybe two. Probably a kitchen like ours, oh, oh and a toilet in the actual apartment," Jules laughed.

"Hmm, Harry and I should look at it."

"You should, well unless you're looking to buy or something."

Hermione laughed, "Do you think anyone would let a couple of twenty somethings buy a place in London?"

Jules joined her in laughter, when Pat and Harry made it back to the booth with the pints of beer.

"What's so funny?"

"Jules inquired if we were going to buy a place to live since we're considering moving."

"I'm not twenty yet Jules, think they'd really let me buy a place?'

"I know, I know, leave me alone. What's your big news anyway, mate? Well besides the looking for a new flat?" Jules asked Harry.

"Oh, I've declared a new major."

Jules and Patricia groaned.

"Come on!" Harry protested.

"What is this, the fourth one, Harry?"

"So?" Harry replied standoffishly.

The rest laughed at his tone.

"I'm a ceramics major now."

"So let me get this straight, Potter is becoming a Potter?" Pat asked.

"I might not make pots!" Harry protested, which led to more gales of laughter.

Harry pouted into his beer. Hermione patted him on his back, "As long as your happy."

"That's true, though I have no idea how you're going to manage ever getting out of uni at this rate."

"I think this may be my calling."

"Didn't you say that about becoming an architect?"

"Hey, hey, my math skills weren't as good as I thought."

"What about geology?"

"I just liked the volcanoes honestly."

"Isn't that how you used to date?" Jules asked.

"What've you been telling them about my ex's, love?"

"Nothing but the truth."

Harry grinned, "I guess so, well one was more a leaky volcano, the other um, too much pressure and time apart. Dreaming and lusting after someone then meeting them again after a year apart, well the dreams vanish and the real person comes out and bam she wasn't really what I expected."

"In five days, Harry?"

"It was enough time to form a good view and her brother's were scaring me."

"Wow, what did her brother's say to you?" Pat asked.

"When are you marrying her," Harry replied bluntly. "And Ron threatened me about you and then proceeded to watch some blonde's ass across the room."

Hermione laughed, "I always thought he was more partial to blondes, never knew what he saw in me besides safety and a good fight."

"If you two were blokes you would've been punching each other." Harry added.

"And this Ron fellow was really your best friend?" Jules asked incredulously, "He sounds like a real prick."

"At times he was, other times he was alright," Harry shrugged, "Good to talk and play sport with."

"He grew on you, then you remembered why he was such a dick but after six years you couldn't really chuck him," Hermione added.

"Oh, Harry, guess who's coming to visit?"

"Visit, shit, who?"

"Neville."

"Seriously? What is he up to anyway."

"Training, this year he actually gets out of the barracks."

"What is he military?" Jules asked.

"Sort of, more police… detective, I think."

"Never heard of bobbies in barracks."

Harry and Hermione shrugged, not really able to tell a couple of Muggles about Aurors.

"So what's new with you two, now that I've announced my declaration of yet another major?" Harry asked his friends.

"We're engaged."

"Bloody hell, Congratulations mates!"

Hermione grinned at the two across the table, "When did this happen?"

"Last night," Jules grinned gleefully.

"Can I see the ring?" Hermione asked Pat, who put her hand on the table towards Hermione.

"Wow, excellent pick Jules!"

"Thanks, I thought so too," He smiled brightly, before taking a sip of his beer.

"I love it," and Pat pulled Jules in for a kiss.

Harry and Hermione just grinned and stared at each other, as Jules and Pat were rather busy.

After Jules and Pat finally came up for air, Pat asked, "Are you too sure there's nothing going on, what with the way you both turn down dates?"

Harry and Hermione just stared her down.

"Fine, fine, hell at this point I wouldn't be surprised if you were shagging and pulling the wool over our eyes."

"And if we are?"

"We'd be happy to know your bloody hermits and not puritans."

"Eehhhh," Harry responded.

"What did the Model Army kill half your family during the Civil War?"

"Something like that," Harry answered.

Hermione had a grimace on her face as well, remembering her History of Magic classes, apparently Harry had been awake for those lessons.

"So any idea when you'll be married?" Hermione finally asked.  
"Oh, it'll be a long engagement. We still need to graduate from Uni."

"We don't want to get married till we're settled into our careers," Pat added.

"That's a good idea," Hermione told them. Harry just smiled at his happy friends, they would tell them the truth another day. Now was time to celebrate.

_AN: I'm a history major, though all I really know about British History is from Intro courses and Monty Python, yes the song "Oliver Cromwell" goes through my head every time he's mentioned. I was taking a World His. Course when I wrote this chapter and had just read over that era in history, the middle ages, with the witch burnings, the puritans, English civil war, etc. I hope you all enjoyed the time jump and sparsely introduced new friends, next chapter is back to old ones.. –ears_

_Bobbies are cops. _


	6. Old Friends and News

Chapter Six-Old Friend and News

_Chapter Six__-Old Friend and News_

Harry leaned over and kissed his bed partner, which quickly led to a rather heavy snogging session, the possibility for more was cut off by a knock on the door.

"Bloody hell, that's across the hall, right?" Hermione asked when they came up for air.

"I fucking hope so."

The knocking persisted rather quickly into pounding, followed by a shout, "You know your walls are thin, I can hear you."

Harry gave her one last peck before crawling over her and out of their bed. He pulled on some track pants and a t-shirt. "Hey, you should be getting dressed too."

Hermione groaned before getting up and pulling on blue jeans and a red tank top.

"Come on, aren't you too decent yet, what just going to ignore your old friend?" Asked the interrupter of lovely mornings.

Harry opened the door, "Come on in, I'll be right back need to use the loo." And Harry left, after receiving a hug.

"When did you start getting free time, Neville? I thought you were still on lock down with a day off a month."

"Oh, with year three beginning lockdown is over. I can now visit you, as well as having plenty of time to see Joan and Gran."

"Joan?"

"My girlfriend," Neville grinned.

"How long have you and she been together?"

"Oh, year and a half about."

Harry came back in and locked the door behind him.

"Wow, Neville, your looking brilliant."

"Auror training, mate, and a great girl to keep up with."

"Really?"

"Yeah, sounds like you too are seeing the other as well?" Neville grinned slyly.

"Um, well, yeah, we…" Hermione trailed off.

"We don't have a happy little label," Harry answered the question, followed by the afterthought of, "But we are happy."

Hermione smiled at that.

Neville just grinned at them, "So besides wanting to know what the two of you have been up to, well Hermione has kept me fairly up to date with her post. I did come here for a reason."

"Oh, what's that?" Hermione asked.

"Ron's getting married and wants the two of you to be in his wedding."

"Why didn't he get a hold of us himself?" Hermione wondered.

"He sent you both a letter two months ago."

"Bollocks, I haven't checked the owl post office box in awhile," Hermione smacked a hand at her forehead.

"When is he getting married?"

"Tomorrow, this evening is the rehearsal. I'm an usher, since I know where you live I told him I would track you down."

"Is he pissed at me? Its been two years," Harry asked.

"Nah, he was hoping you'd be his best man, he wanted Hermione to stand up with Lucille as well."

"Ronald and Lucille?"

"Well its Lucy for short and she's just his type, a Quidditch player, busty and blonde… And the kicker for the Cannons."

"A bloody Cannons player?" Harry asks laughing.

"Yep, they've been dating for about two years. He met her at a tryout for the Cannons. He didn't make it, but he is working for the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Quidditch Division."

"Is that what he does? That's the perfect job for Ron, though I suppose he's dreadful at the paperwork." Hermione said, yes she had been occasionally corresponding with Ron, but really sporadically.

"Must be his dream, on both counts."

"They're really happy and rather perfect for each other, both quite alike with the mutual love of Quidditch and each other. She goes well with him."

-- -

Neville left after eating breakfast and chatting with his old friend's for awhile to go home himself to get ready for the rehearsal at The Burrow. Hermione and Harry assured him that they would show up that evening.

"Do you think, Ron will really be okay with me after two years? I mean, you kept up with him, I didn't. Fuck, and the rest of his family?"

"Harry, relax, Mrs. Weasley will probably bitch about your hair is all. Bloody hell, what if Ginny starts sniffing around, fuck!"

"Relax love, I'd hope by now she'd know that she and I are over, its been three fucking years, she's insane if she still thinks something should happen. And I like my hair long, it tames it a bit!"

"That it does, more wave to it, and its brilliant to run my fingers through," as she did just that, which Harry just closed his eyes and smiled at the massaging of his scalp.

"Your like Crookshanks was when I did that," Hermione laughed.

"I'm being compared to your cat? How is he doing?"

"Mum and Dad say he's the same old, Crooks."

"We should go visit them this summer!" Harry suggested excitedly.

"Want to see me in a bathing suit?"

"Duh, I'm nineteen, how much else do I think about.. Well besides switching majors and.."

"Relax, we'll be fine tonight. If it goes badly and they don't want us there, we'll leave."

"How are we getting there? I haven't apparated in two years, do any of the trains go near there? Petrol is too bloody expensive to take your car."

"Harry, if you are so worried about apparating I can side-along you."

"Thanks, love," and he kissed the side of her head.

_AN:__ How will the reunion with Ron go? Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Hoping I'm not chased with pitchforks for Ginny next chapter, just remember it could be worse, a crumple horned snorkack could have ate her, though that would have made book six more fun, hmm… _


	7. Interlude and Ron

Chapter Seven-Ron

_**An Interlude**_.. The one the D.A. benefitted the most.

Neville Aedelfrid Franklin Longbottom entered Auror training after Hogwarts. Neville finished the three year program near the top of his class. During Auror training, he was introduced to a young woman, a few years his senior and they began to see one another on his free days. This young lady, Joan Bunker, had graduated from Auror training just prior to the start of the escalation of the second war and fled from Britain with her family for part of the war. Joan returned to help in the war effort against Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the final few months (after being assured of her family's safety abroad).

Though some around Neville were skeptical of his choice of career, Uncle Algie for one, Neville, after his experiences just prior and during the war was now confident and assured in his abilities.

Neville is no longer the clumsy boy of his early adolescence, but a man happy with his chosen profession and the honour he is showing his parents by following in their footsteps. Though he had never intended to follow them, the talent that his friend, Harry had helped bring out led him to follow them. Perhaps the lack of a proper wand fit for him was what Neville was lacking during his early years at Hogwarts, his grandmother thought in hindsight and apologized to her grandson. Neville would have none of it as he said, CONFIDENCE was what Neville had been lacking, not a dearth talent. Once his self-assurance in his abilities came to fore, Neville became the great wizard he had always had the ability to be. His newfound confidence in his magic led to boosts in other areas, as well, examples being his leadership skills coming to fore, especially during Severus Snape's year as Headmaster. Neville, confident in himself, asked Joan out and things from there have been going smashingly, despite the time constraints and limited face time. Now that his two years of continual training are finished and he has more then one day off a month, he and Joan will really get to know one another and see how they really get along, beyond a few hours and letters. Neville can now move out of the training complex. He is moving in with Joan, so far things between them are going well. No horrible conflicts over the toilet seat or the proper way to wash a tea cup have come about, who knows what the future will bring to them.

- - -

**Chapter Seven**- _Ron. _

Hermione apparated herself and Harry to the yard of the Burrow, a place neither had been for some time. Hermione two years and Harry even more years ago, which is a surprise considering the amount of time they once spent at this ramshackle rebuilt residence. In its prior form, they had spent many summer hours playing Quidditch in the garden, listening to the ghoul as they lounged around in Ron's old Chudley dedicated room, or chucked gnomes invading Molly's vegetable patch over the low garden wall.

Neville fortunately had the forethought to wait for them, "Glad to see you made it on time, long time no apparate?" Neville chuckled at his own joke.

"Yeah, Neville. I just let Hermione side-along me. I haven't apparated since I left the wizarding world two years ago, no reason too."

"The muggles do have ingenious ways of getting to and from don't they?" Arthur Weasley exclaimed as he came over to greet them.

"That they do, Mister Weasley. How're things?" Harry politely inquired.

"Oh wonderful, wonderful! I'm so glad that Neville reached you two. You are both still living in Britain?"

"Yes, in London actually," Hermione answered.

"Together?" Arthur asked.

"Yes sir," Harry replied, with a slight grin.

"Excellent! I'm glad you haven't left us all behind, what are you both doing these days?"

"Attending university in London," Harry answered.

"University? Muggle schools, really!"

"Yes sir, in the fall will be the beginning of our third years."

"ARTHUR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING OVER THERE, COME AND HELP," Molly Weasley bellowed at her husband.

"I want to hear more but Molly beckons," Arthur excused himself.

"Nice to see you again, Mister Weasley," Hermione called after him.

"Shall we go find Ronnikins, he's so excited that I found you." Neville told his friends.

"Yes," Harry nodded, hoping Ron would not be too angry with him and also hoping that a certain sister of his would be otherwise engaged. For the first time in nearly two years, Harry thought of Ginny Weasley and it hit him, he was well past that stage of adolescent lust and ridiculousness, he's truly happy with the life he has made for himself and now with his best friend as well. Harry Potter is beyond content. Harry put his arm around Hermione and pulled her hand up to kiss it, Hermione looking at him curiously after he did so as he had a secret little smile on his face, 'What?' she mouthed at him, and he just shook his head indicating it was nothing. Nothing but realizing his happiness.

Neville, with the help of a mild diversion charm led Harry and Hermione through a throng of Weasley's and into the Burrow, which had been reconstructed and looked slightly less ramshackle then the original, less odds and ends sticking out, more straight edges taking there place. He led them up the stairs to Ron's new room, which unsurprisingly looked like the one of old, Chudley Orange and Quidditch Posters, new ones, featuring an blonde haired witch in Chudley Orange.

"Neville! What brings you up here? We're just.. eh hem.." Ron trailed off, adjusting his tie with one hand and his other arm busy around the back of his fiancée.

Neville stepped in further bringing Harry and Hermione out of the shadow of the hall and into the light of Ron's room.

"HARRY? HERMIONE?" Ron jumped up and ran the few steps tackling his friend's in a hug. "Neville, thank you! Thank you!"

Neville just smiled.

"You bloody bastards have to disappear on me for two bloody years and not answer my wedding invite?"

"Sorry Ron, that's my fault," Hermione confessed, untangling herself from the group hug, "I was too busy to go check the post box I have in Diagon Alley, rather forgot with finals and … other things."

"Oh I don't care, I'm just glad you're here. Lucy, we can still put them in the Wedding party right, you don't mind honestly?"

"Ron, we kept places open for them just in case, you know that, they are your best friends."

"Bloody hell, you haven't even met Lucille yet! Harry, Hermione this is Lucille Martin, soon to be Weasley! Lucy this is Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, my best friend's since we were eleven, well Hermione twelve." Ron grinned like an idiot looking between his best friend's and fiancée.

"I've heard so much about you and your time in school," Lucy told Harry and Hermione smiling.

"Can't say I've heard anything about you," Harry said honestly.

"Neville said you're a Quidditch player?" Hermione asked.

"I am, a chaser. Do you play?" Lucy replied politely.

"I'm not very good, but the boys did drag me into pickup games when we were younger. Harry was quite good at Hogwarts."

"Hermione," Harry blushed.

"Oh, don't be modest mate, you were bloody brilliant, could've gone pro, Lucy, he could've!"

"We need to get them fitted into robes, Ronnie!" Lucy remembered. "Come with me, Hermione, Harry, the seamstress is still here doing last minute checks."

Ron grinned as Lucy dragged his friend's away.

He heard, "Where are you from, Lucy?" being asked by Hermione as she and Harry were hurried down the steps.

Ron turned to Neville, "How can I thank you?"

"Think you can get me tickets to the next world cup? Joan would love to go."

"I think I can somehow manage that," Ron told him, "I'll just have to call in a few favours. How did you find them, did you know where they were all along? Are they together? What have they been up to, come on what do you know?" Ron rambled off questions.

Neville grinned, "I think they are. Yes, I've known where they live. They seem to be doing very well and really are quite happy."

"I'm glad to know there as happy as I am, well I sure bloody hope they are at least close!" Ron and Neville sat in his room as Lucy led Harry and Hermione down the stairs. Ron grilled Neville about Harry and Hermione, "Where do they live?"

"In muggle London, a real hole of an apartment."

"Really, what does it look like?" Ron asked wanting to know anything he could about his old friends.

"Its maybe slightly larger than doubling this room's size."

"That small? For two of them!"

"Yep, They have a bed in the corner by the windows, dressers and clothes hanging racks at the end there. They have a couch next to the door, a desk with a computer across from the couch. A tiny kitchen, one of those ice box thingies muggles use, but like half the size. It looks like they eat at their counter top.. and they have a small coffee table and an arm chair. The pictures on the walls are interesting, I wonder which picked them out, muggle art works, since none of its moving."

"What, no loo?"

"Apparently they share a loo with other people in the building."

"Really, why? There wizard's can't they just use magic to enlarge there place and have a loo?"

"Ron, they live surrounded by muggles, never going to the loo would make their neighbors suspicious."

"I suppose."

- - -

Ginevra Weasley is currently on a well planned, months in advance vacation in the South Pacific and feeling rather distraught that she will miss her youngest elder brother's wedding.

"Ginny, love, are you alright?" Asked her new fiancé.

"Just thinking about Ron and Lucy, they get married tomorrow."

"Gin, I was waiting to surprise you… But I got us a portkey back for the wedding tomorrow. I know how close you are with Ron after all."

"Dennis, you didn't! But we need to keep are engagement quiet, we don't want to take anything away from their big day."

"Oh, I know, love," He grinned boyishly at her.

"Oh Dennis, I love you so much!

"I know Gin," Dennis smiled.

Ginny laughed, before grinning devilishly, "Dennis Creevey!" … We'll just leave them alone now.

Awhile later, with the Ginny and Dennis, "Your family isn't going to kill me for not asking ahead are they?"

"If they do they're getting my bat bogey hex, love. How are your parents going to react?"

"They know how much we love each other, Gin, Mum and Dad are going to be thrilled."

- -

Ronald Bilius Weasley and Lucille Aegle Martin were married on a lovely late May day, the happy couple and their families and friends were quite lucky that it did not rain. Of course, once they reached the reception hall it began to pour.

The reception of Ron and Lucy was winding down when Ginny and Dennis, his arm around his fiancée's shoulder's approached the long lost pair of Harry and Hermione. "Harry, Hermione, how're you? It's been awhile, you remember Dennis, of course?"

Harry nodded. Hermione answered, "Yes, how are you, Dennis?"

"Oh, I'm excellent. I do have something for you though, Harry, I know Colin would want you to have them, is there anywhere I can send you mail?"

"Just send them to Hermione's post box in Diagon Alley," Harry replied.

"I'll do that, and how are you, Hermione?"

"Good."

"Are you both here together? Have you kept in touch since Harry left then?"

"Oh we've been living together the past two years," Harry answered, sharing a look with Hermione.

"Wonderful, wonderful, so are you two involved then?" Ginny asked excitedly, which certainly surprised and relieved Harry and Hermione, they could tell that she and Dennis were quite involved.

"Um.." Harry trailed off.

"We don't really have a title."

"What have you been doing? Living like muggles? It's fascinating to go visit Dennis's parents and see how they live."

"We've been attending university actually. Hermione's working on a law degree and I'm just beginning a concentration in ceramics."

Ginny stared blankly, while Dennis, nodded along. "Clay, Harry? Do you make pottery, or sculpt or…?"

"Oh, mostly hand building, slab and coil work. I'm still working on getting the hang of the wheel. Please hold the potter jokes, I've heard them all, mostly from this one here," and he gave Hermione a little shove before tossing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

"Potter jokes?" Bill came up, with Fluer and baby Victorie, "Why are you getting Potter jokes?"

"I'm a potter, Bill."

Bill laughed, "Well I know that's your name."

"No, 'Arry means he is how do you say travail avec argile."

"Work with clay," Hermione translated.

"Oh, you work with clay, do you animate any of your pieces?" Bill asked excitedly.

"No, I don't know much about wizarding art. I'm a ceramics major. I suppose there must be a wizarding equivalent? Since there are the moving statues and talking paintings, so there must be some artists."

"Oh, so you've taken up the arts then, I had no idea you had any artistic talents, Harry."

"I didn't really do much of anything artistically till university," Harry answered Ginny, before continuing. "Sure I had art in primary school but didn't do anything spectacular."

"Perhaps if vous achieve a 'igh level de mastery, 'Arry can study under a maître de magie art."

"I never thought about that but it is a possibility," Harry replied politely.

"He has some spectacular works, but who knows if he'll decide to switch majors again," Hermione laughed, teasing Harry, those around them not getting the joke.

"Ceramics is my third, no fourth major since I've started university."

"Oh," Bill nodded absently, "Not sure what to do then, Harry?"

"I'm just trying to find something I enjoy is all, Bill."

"That's reasonable."

"I heard that you're both living as muggles! I've met Dennis' Dad, the milkman, amazing work he does!" Arthur Weasley butted in excitedly. "He let me ride in the back of his ruck!"

"Truck, Mister Weasley," Dennis corrected his future Father-in-Law.

"Oh," Arthur replied, before adding with a twinkle in his eye, "And you can call me Arthur, Dennis. It won't hurt."

"Thank you, Mis. Arthur."

"See, no Hippogriff's attacking!" That got laughter out of the rest of the group.

Dennis, thinking on Arthur Weasley's twinkling eye wondered if he perhaps suspected or knew of the advances in his and Ginny's relationship.

_**AN: **__Well, I'm waiting for the backlash over Ginevra's fiancé.. _

_-The French is all via babel fish online translator, so if its wrong, blame the online translator! I know not a lick of French, I know un poco de español (Spanish), but that's all._

_I made up the middle names. Neville, his father was Frank, there's one.. and went randomly searching on names sites for his other one, as well as Lucy's. _

_I know I'm posting at nearly 6am.. sleep eluded me, as it has all week. I read over and work on the story typically when I can't sleep , things are coming along slowly, after the next chapter I only have vague ideas. Yes I am trying to ensure each chapter is minimum 900 words. _

_Fic Recommendation: __Larceny, Lechery and Luna Lovegood__ by Rorschach's Blot, a fantastic hilarious read. If you want more fic recommendations feel free to ask, I've read some brilliant ones.. _

_- Thanks for reading, ears. _

Slight editing 4/18/09


	8. Ron & Lucy Weasley& Was I a Bithc?

Chapter Eight-Ron and Lucy Weasley and Was I A Bitch

Here's a chapter on my birthday!

**Chapter Eight-**_Ron and Lucy Weasley & Was I A Bitch?_

A few weeks later, Harry and Hermione went to Ron and Lucy's for the evening.

The four ate a lovely dinner prepared by Ron surprisingly, fish, potatoes, salad. "How was your honeymoon?" Hermione asked, the obviously happy couple.

"Oh it was wonderful," Lucy smiled happily.

"She picked an excellent place. We hiked and enjoyed a quiet cabin in the woods on this huge lake! Its definitely a place to visit again."

"Where were you?"

"North America."

"Neville, I think said you were from there?" Hermione asked.

"Canada, actually."

"Yes, the accent, I knew you were certainly not from the British Isles."

"Well if I was a Newfoundlander I could have been mistaken for Irish, but I'm from Ontario. We were near Point Pelee."

"What's that?"

"It's the southern most point of Canada. We got the tail end of the bird migrations for our honeymoon."

"It was awesome, so many birds!" Ron exclaimed. "I'd never seen that many birds before, it was so amazing," Ron smiled at Lucy.

"My family decided going there would be especially nice, considering Ron had never even been out of the British Isles before. We went as a family a few times when I was a child." Lucy explained.

"It sounds like you had a wonderful time."

"Oh, we did," Lucy grinned, "So you two are the mythical Harry and Hermione?"

Harry and Hermione laughed, "Oh no, what has Ron told you?" Hermione asked.

"Seemingly everything," Lucy laughed, "I've heard so much about your days at Hogwarts I feel like I was there!"

"The three of us had some amazing times together," Harry said.

"Oh that sounds like an understatement, mate. We grew up together, from the age of eleven till seventeen, eighteen for you, Hermione. We had good and bad times, as I've told you Luce, but it was memorable and I know my life would be vastly different without these two."

"Your not mad I just left are you, Ron?" Harry asked shyly.

"No Harry. I mean, at first I was, but I understand now, you needed your own life like I needed one as well. I'm rather glad you left actually, gave us, me at least time to grow into my own person, rather then just Ron Weasley, sixth son and Harry Potter's best mate."

"I'm glad you've grown up as well Ron, you were an ass quite often when we were younger."

"So were you Scarhead."

"Come on Ronniekins, have to resort to Ratface's material?" Both men laughed.

"And you have to use Ronniekins? Come on mate, that's lame and you know it."

"Come on, Hermione, I'd like to get to know the mature third of the trio," Lucy said chuckling as she took Hermione out to the back yard amidst the laughing man boys.

-

Harry and Ron digressed to the age old topic of Quidditch, before Ron moved in for the kill. "What's going on between you and Hermione, mate?"

"We're living together, Ron."

"I know that, are you two seeing each other?"

"Sort've, not officially mind you, but I'm committed and I assume she is."

"Do you take her out or to dinner?"

"I cook dinner, we both do. We're uni students, Ron, we don't have the money to go out too often, we usually go out about once a week or two with our friends Jules and Pat."

"Bullshit, Harry. I know you have plenty of gold."

"Not everything is about gold, Ron," Harry replied angrily.

"I know that, but your treating her correctly, right?"

"Ron, do you really have to ask that of me, it me and Hermione!"

"I know its you and Hermione! Your not yanking her chain or anything? Your serious?'

"RON, I am serious. This is nothing like Cho or, or Ginny, this is Hermione, my best friend, who I would do anything for and have been through hell with, you know if I wasn't serious I would've stopped things when they started no matter how great it was just to make sure I didn't lose my best friend. I, I think I love her Ron."

Ron grinned, Harry had gone well and beyond his initial pestering on his relationship with Hermione, new to Ron, not to Harry.

"Like the friend she is or more? I haven't seen you two together except for recently. I don't know how you started. That's your fault staying away so bloody wrong."

"I know, I deserve the third degree."

"She's like my older sister, Harry, you shouldn't expect anything less now that I've grown up, kid."

"Ron, your four, five months older then me, you sure you want to be the old man?" Both grinned at each other before resuming the one-sided Ron conversation about Quidditch.

-

"Are they always like that? From what Ron said, Harry was the most serious of you three."

"Uh, did he tell you about me being a homework dominatrix?"

"He said you didn't have a sense of humour!"

"I do, I was just much too wrapped up in my studying for most of our time at Hogwarts."

"Ah, your muggle-born right?" Hermione nodded in the affirmative. "I suppose you thought that you had to be the best to make up for your lack of knowledge about your new world?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Hermione grinned sheepishly.

"Its understandable, the new world and all, its either work your ass off or fail miserably. I'm guessing you and Harry were in the former? Uh, he wasn't quite as serious as I was, probably somewhere in between, plus he had Quidditch all six years."

"Was it weird taking your N.E.W.T.S. without completing the final year of schooling?"

"It wasn't bad, I'd say we learned loads being out on our own."

"From Ron's stories it sounds like the three of you had quite the time."

"Oh, we did."

"And you and Ron were somewhat of an item back then?"

"Uhhhh, I wouldn't say that. We never really dated, a few pecks, loads of arguments, that's all, you don't have to worry about me. I'm very happy with Harry."

"I'm glad to hear that, you and he seem to be very good together."

"Thank you."

"How do you and Ron consider one another best friend's when all I've ever heard about the both of you is your tremendous rows?"

"Harry is my best friend and Ron is his best friend, the three of us spent nearly all of our free time or time together for the majority of seven years. That's why we're best friend's, we have a mutual respect for one another, he knows I could throw any number of spells at him and I know he could easily crack me over the head with a quaffle." Both women dissolved into laughter.

-- -- --

Later that night at Harry and Hermione's Flat:

"Harry, do you think I was a bitch?"

"What?" Harry asked with perhaps the most confused expression ever marring his face.

"Sixth year, fifth, even.. Our year on the run?"

"Uh, what?" He asked again.

"Honestly, Harry, I admit it. I won't hurt you for saying anything."

"Says the woman who determines whether or not I get laid," Harry replied.

"HARRY!"

"Hey, hey, I'm just being honest."

"I know, Honest Harry."

"Ha ha ha, you know I could never, well have always had a horrible time attempting to lie to you."

"I know, Harry, didn't stop you sixth year now did it?"

"Hermione!" Harry whined.

"Come on, answer me."

"This can only end badly for me, Hermione, do you really want that?"

"Harry!"

"Hermione!"

"Your impossible!"

"And your not?" Harry asked eyebrows raised.

"Oh shuddup!"

"Make me!"

"Fine!" And she tackled him to there bed, the question left aside, for now.

- - -

_AN:_ en./wiki/PointPeleeNationalPark

-I'm not Canadian, but was a bridge crossing away where I spent most of my childhood in the U.S.

If I got the Newfoundland accent wrong, I apologize, its just what it seemed like from watching and reading all the Dan Cleary interviews and features. Die hard hockey fan here.

Ah yes, before I forget once more, a **disclaimer: I do not own HP, if you thought I did, wow you must be on some nice drugs.. JKR, WB and numerous companies I do not recall own HP. **

Didn't mean to take so long in posting this, but school starts again Monday, my last year of undergrad.. had to move out of my place for the summer last week, get to move again Thursday.. and the internship is finished too! The posting will probably be slow in coming this semester, I have a heavy course load and am a TA.. if you want to know anymore just drop me a line.. Thank you for reading.


	9. Someday and a Return

Why an update for once, bloody hell never thought that would happen! I got a review today, it reminded me that I had a few written sections still… as well as a fanfic in progress.. whoops.

Chapter Nine, _Someday and a Return. _

- -

"Someday I'd like a house where I could have a studio.. Someday." Harry said to the room as he and Hermione toured the flat in Jules and Pat's building.

"Harry, you didn't read that paperwork Gringott's sent you, did you?" Hermione asked as they looked at the larger of the two bedrooms.

"Oh about not collecting my need to know files on my seventeenth birthday, you read it? I like the window here, much better view then the wall our current window shows."

"Yeah, I like this too, we could put our bed here, wake up to the sun. The paperwork was out, I figured it was okay. Did they mail it to you?"  
"Yeah, soon after I moved into the flat, I guess without the war to back log them they found it and sent it to me. I just glanced over it, anything good?"

"Yeah, there's a Potter Manor and some other properties, plus the Black properties."

"Fun, is Godric's Hollow listed?"

"Yeah, it is. Seems to be another house as well besides that one."

"Really? Perhaps someday we'll check it out."

"Oh," Hermione sighed, "A toilet with a tub!"

"Ah! I could get used to having a loo in the actual flat, would be lovely wouldn't it?" Harry asked grinning at the excited over something ever so simple and normal Hermione.

"Yes!" She exclaimed, "Please can we take this one? We have this bedroom here and then the other room can be an office or something, we can figure it out when we move in."

"The kitchen though, can you believe full size hot plates?"

"We'll be able to cook a full meal all at once!"

"This is the second floor again."

"I don't mind the stairs, do you mind the stairs?"

"No problem for me, this place is worth them!"

- - -

- - -

In July, Harry and Hermione traveled to visit her parents. Homer and Jane Granger through many emails and telephone conversations learned to better accept and understand their daughter's decision to send them away to safety. They still did not like her actions, but had come to accept them, with time. Jane and Homer met Harry and Hermione at the airport. Harry's wide awake since he slept most of the flight, while Hermione is exhausted, having spent most of the flight awake or in fitful bits of sleep. Hermione passed out in the car on the way to her parent's house. A two bedroom bungalow, not too far from the beach is where the Granger's live. Hermione's parent's led them into their home, leading them to the second bedroom where they would sleep during the visit. Hermione slipped out of her shoes and almost immediately passed out on the full size bed, as it was nearly two am Greenwich mean time. Harry is awake and the Granger's left after dropping them off, so he decided to leave Hermione a note and go out and explore the neighborhood.

Hermione awoke alone a few hours later, discovered Harry's note and after changing into new clothes decided to see if she could find Harry. She found him on the beach, lounging in the sand, burning.

Hermione walked up to Harry and sat down beside him in the sand. "Enjoying the sand beneath your toes?"

"Yes, this is awesome!"

"Have you never been to a beach before, ever?"

"Well, the one time beside the sea when Uncle Vernon was running from my letters, but otherwise nope."

"Why haven't we fixed this back home?"

"I have no idea, love. How was your nap?"

"Oh very nice, refreshing, I hope I can sleep tonight."

"I doubt you want to spend our entire vacation on London time."

"I most certainly do not, and did you put on any sunscreen?"

"Sunscreen?"

"Oh Harry, you forgot about it didn't you?"

"Oops."

"We'll have to see if we can find any aloe vera if it starts to get painful."

"Okay. Have you eaten yet? Do you want to go see if we can find something to eat, or should we go back to your parent's house and wait for them?"

"Probably wait for them."

"Okay," and Harry stood up and dusted the sand off of himself, before putting a hand down to Hermione, who took it and stood up. Harry grabbed his towel and threw it over his shoulder and they walked hand in hand back to her parent's house.

- - -

Harry changed his clothes, wet from swimming, and they waited for her parents. Things were from the outside quite well with Hermione and her parent's, but the problems that arose from what Hermione did, everything is certainly not fine and dandy. There is still residual resentment.

Parents are typically the ones who protect there children, but when the child flips that around and tries to protect the parent from dangers unknown to them. What Hermione did was rather rash and her parents, yes they are more accepting of why she did it then two years ago, but still are not entirely happy about being ripped away from there life and sent to the other side of the world.

Hermione's parents returned from their dental practice and were surprised to see their daughter's boyfriend in the kitchen cooking dinner.

"So you cook do you?" Asked Hermione's mother.

"Yes ma'am, though Hermione and I usually share cooking duties at home depending on our class schedules each day."

"You attend university with her as well, then?" asked her father.

"I do, Doctor Granger."

"What are you studying? Hermione we hear is studying law, correct?" Jane asked.

"That she is, Doctor Granger, doing quite well too. We're going into our third year in the autumn."

"What do you study, Harry, right?"

"Yes sir. I am studying art, ceramics in particular."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"And if you and Hermione intend to stay together long term, how do you intend to provide for yourself and her?"

"Mum, Dad, I'm not really worried about that. Harry and I will make due. This is Harry, my friend since I was eleven."

"Oh, oh!" Her mother exclaimed, "You look so different from when you were younger."

Harry chuckled, and threw some vegetables into a pot. "You don't have to worry about how Hermione will be provided for, I'm sure she'll do well enough for the both of us, and if that isn't enough I have enough and more for us to live on." Harry did not come right out and say he was wealthy but equated as much.

"Harry hasn't really had a choice in what his life is to be until this point, so he's doing what he wants."

"Really is that so?" Asked her mother frostily.

"Oh bugger," Hermione put her hand to her forehead in defeat. "I am sorry, Mum, Dad. I just wanted you to be safe!" She cried.

"I know you wanted us to be safe Hermione, but you did not give us a choice you just used your magic and made us forget everything and sent us around the world!"

"I didn't want what happened to other friend's of mine with non-magical parent's to happen to you! You're my parents, I love you. I didn't want anything bad to happen to you!"

"What about you? You put yourself in danger, we could have never known about what you did to us if you hadn't survived. What then, hmm? What if in our old age the memories came back and everyone thought us nutters because we had this idea of another life in our heads?"

"I am sorry, I didn't think about what would happen if I died. I'm just glad that I didn't, so I could at least try to fix what I did. I didn't think it all through, I thought you'd be happy I thought about your safety rather then leave you in a potential war zone."

"So our home survived then?" Homer asked.

"Yes Dad, I didn't know that when I came out two years ago, but I've been back since then, its all still there, a bit overgrown but intact."

"Jane, we can go home!" Homer said almost in awe.

"I didn't think that was an option," Jane said sitting down.

"I am sorry, Mum, Dad, we'll move your stuff back for you if you wish, help you move back if that's what you want."

"You will? But we've lost all our patients, its been three years, will anyone come back? How will our friend's and everyone else react to our return?"

"Well, I did at least think that one through. I sent letters to your friend's and patients, our family, about a lucrative offer in Australia you couldn't dare pass up, etcetera."

"You did?"

"I did, Dad. I tried my best to make it all sound like you both and how great an opportunity it would be, so you can return home, if that's what you want to do."

"What about this place?"

"Uh its actually a place of Harry's."

"It is?" Harry asked surprised.

"Yeah, I was going through stuff with Sirius before he died, saw about this place. He said it was a great place to come to and get away from Britain."

"Hmm, I wonder if this was one of the places he hid out at?"

"Probably not, the Malfoy's knew about this one too."

"Oh." Harry responded.

"What? What?"

"Nothing, Dad, do you want to move back? I can help get things straightened for that if need be," Hermione asked her parents.

"I want to go back, what about you Jane?"

"Yes, I miss our family and friends, Mike. Hermione, I'm glad you saved us, I just wish you had not done such a rash thing as sending us here unbeknownst to us."

"I know, Mum, I am sorry."

"Oh I know."

After spending a week in total in Australia, Harry and Hermione, using magic moved her parent's things back to Great Britain. Hopefully with less distance Hermione's relationship with her Dad and Mum will continue to improve.

-

3rd floor in American terms… this is my reference guide: /demo/#url/usvsuk-dictionary.html

if your wondering about Hermione's Dad's name, either send me a note, or go read "The Wedding," chapter 2, her Dad's name is explained there.

-Chapters will be scarce. I have an extremely heavy course load. Any questions, or if anyone has any suggestions, just drop me a line.. Thanks for reading.


	10. Ampersand&

Chapter Ten-&Ampersand&

The Wizarding World, while things were much better than they were under Fudge or Scrimgoer, is still not perfect or entirely clear of prejudice. The hero won and then abandoned them, or that is how Harry's leaving was perceived by the pen of Rita Skeeter. Harry triumphed and then he left, he went off somewhere out of the immediate vicinity of the British wizarding world. No matter that Harry left to find himself and heal from the horrors of warring against evil since the tender age of eleven. Harry was not outright bad mouthed, but some had questions about why he left. His friend's tried to explain it, Neville having the best resources to respond being the primary Harry Defender. Harry's appearance with Hermione at Ron Weasley's wedding sparked uproar about Harry anew, previously it had died down.

Harry returning to the muggle world where witches and wizards were clueless on how to find him let him escape the uproar, but his old friend's did not.

Ron was accosted by thousands of owls, and not all well wishers, so much so that his mail now has to go through a special sorting service typically reserved for the politicians, wealthy, and the famous and the reviled of his world. Yes that is how Voldemort survived his mail all those years. Neville, Ginny and Luna also received lots of post, but not to the extent that Ron did, Harry did in fact appear to see Ron. Hermione received a bit, but as she has also been scarce in Wizarding public life she was marginally left alone.

- -- --

Dennis Creevey laughed as he and his fiancée sorted through the mail they were receiving. He could tell Ginny was getting frustrated.

"Why can't these bloody morons send all of this to Harry? Has he made his flat unplottable or something? Anything?"

"Dear, he lives as a muggle, he and Hermione probably have a block on owls. Hermione also has a box for them at the post office in Diagon. Also could you imagine a postman reading a letter addressed to: _Harry Potter, Muggle Place_. I don't think the statutes of secrecy would survive, what with its weakening from the war and all."

"Denny that was years ago now!"

"Gin, don't say that, we can't forget. We have to be vigilant so nothing like that will happen again!"

"I know, I know."

"I know things seem to repeat, with Grindelwald and Hitler before."

"Who?"

"You know your homeschooling was awful! Come on your father is in the muggle affairs office and you didn't learn any muggle history?"

"Come on, we've had this spat before."

"I know, its bloody ridiculous you didn't learn shite about the second world war on the muggle side."

"Oh that guy."

"I think you, my love will be getting muggle or magical with lots of muggle information books for every birthday for the rest of our lives."

"Is it really that important?"

"Yes, it's the history of the greater world in which we live. Its damn important. I've been thinking.. When, when we have children can we send them to muggle schools or at least integrated schools? I want them to have a broader background then the general magical populace."

"You mean the purebloods right?"

Dennis nodded. "But Mum was great…"

"But you missed so many essential things, Gin, your lucky you know the difference between a verb and a noun."

"What and what?"

"There's my point."

Ginny blinked at him, "Fine, fine."

"Well, when our children learn, you will too!"

Ginny just chuckled at her love, who grinned back at her.

- - - --

Luna Lovegood actually wanted to see Harry and Hermione, regardless of the post she received for Harry. She wanted to see her friend's again, see how they are, what their lives are like now, how they are progressing. If they are truly happy or just posing for show, then again Luna thought, they were both always horrible actors. She believed that both are now happy and content and Luna for one wanted to revel in the happiness of her friends, both free from albatrosses hanging around their necks for once. One real and dangerous, the other created by incessant worry.

- --

Neville Longbottom did not have to go through his owl post, being in Auror training it was sorted out and brought to him. Well usually that was the case, not this time, no not this time, this time Neville received his normal post plus a list of other items of mail he was receiving, a self updating list! Bloody hell, he thought, the wankers are certainly sending an avalanche at Harry, he sure is lucky he doesn't receive his own owl post.

Junior Auror Longbottom sent a message to the mail clerk, to destroy any mail sent to him for Harry Potter, unless it was from a list of certain people that Hermione had provided to Neville way back when.

If it had not been such a busy time in his training, Neville would have attempted to visit his old friends and get some of the essential post to Harry, then again there probably was not any truly important post in the batch.

- -- --

Harry and Hermione, while all the post to Harry was flying about were oblivious and safe in Australia and their London flats. Finally they were settling into the new flat now that the trip to Australia and retrieval of Hermione's Parents and their former lives was complete.

Hermione and her parent's relationship will take much time to heal, but the olive branches have been offered and accepted. Lives will be resumed and routines and friends will be reunited. Her parents will forgive her fully eventually.. or so Harry hoped… Perhaps once they have a grandchild? He wondered and then awoke in his musings to his conscience mind saying NO, WAIT, NOT FOR AWHILE YET. Though he did think he is the happiest he has ever been and wants to prolong that for as long as possible. Happiness suited him.

- --

Hermione is in a library studying for the upcoming term. She wanted to get a head start so she could have plenty of time to slack off during the year with Harry. She knew that no matter what she would study hard but also pair that with plenty of procrastination. After years of being the best and working her bloody arse off for it, she finally learned to find a middle ground. She knew that studying is not life, that she had to live a life outside of her textbooks, she had that now, finally. Life is not worth living if there is no play to mediate the work… Plus with the new middle ground she is still at the top of her class. That above all makes everything just dandy.

- --

_**AN:**__ Thank you all for the reviews for the last part. _

_This was written while listening to Amanda Palmer's solo album.. she's the singer/piano player for The Dresden Dolls, a brilliant band. …. The title of the chapter is inspired by a song title on Who Killed Amanda Palmer, but not relating to the song at all. _

_-_

_This will probably be the last chapter for a bit, I need to start researching my paper topics and begin the process of writing those… You pretty much only got this one because my foot is killing me and I have an exam I can't concentrate for in Archival Management tomorrow. I'm a Public History minor if you are wondering why I'm taking that class.. History major, Art minor too. _

_-_

_I know this is a random chapter.. but someone wanted to see Ginny.. so I give you everyone instead.. Hope you all enjoyed. You could say the reviews kept this fresh in my mind, again thank you. _


	11. Transitions, Oh, Luna!

Chapter Eleven.. Transitions, Oh Luna!

----

Jane and Mike Granger are back in Britain, but are not having the best time readjusting. They are trying to open a new Dentists office, or find partners who will take them on, or begin an office with them other dentists, but so far are having no luck. They are actually considering retirement, since they are rather well off and do not have any large expenses, but at this point are not entirely sure what to do.

They are even thinking of returning to Australia, they were comfortable there, even if it was oceans away from the friends and family that they remember once more. That option vanished quickly, Hermione parent's decided they would rather stay in their homeland then return abroad, to stay around family at least for now, to once again get to know their acquaintance of a daughter. Sadly they barely know one another anymore; their little girl grew up away from them. They certainly helped with the basis of who she would become, but her teenage and early adult years left her practically a stranger as she fought in the wars in her world separated from her parents.

---

Luna and Hermione met for lunch soon after Hermione and Harry's return from Australia.

"You're in love with him?"

"What!?"

"You're love with Harry?"

"I, I.."

"You are you not?" Luna asked airily.

Hermione stared at Luna dumbfounded. "Of course I love him, he's my best friend."

"I don't mean that, Hermione, don't deflect answering what we both know."

"Yes."

"Does he know?"

"I, I don't know, I don't think so, not like that anyway.." Hermione trailed off as Luna smiled beatifically at her. "Why is that how you greet me?"

Luna continued to smile at her.

"You just have to keep me guessing and off guard don't you?" Hermione asked grinning.

Luna just kept on smiling at her friend.

"Urgh, Waiter," Hermione called.

"What may I get you, Miss?" The Waiter came over at Hermione summons, he is a middle aged chap with brown hair graying at the temples.

"May I start with a water and."

"Your friend here already ordered for you, Miss."

"Oh, oh okay." Hermione stammered and the Waiter wandered off.

"What did you order me, Miss Lovegood?"

Luna grinned, "What it seemed you would like today."

"What then?"

"You'll see when it gets here."

"Your impossible," Hermione shrugged. "So how have you been?"

"I have been absolutely fabulous, just lovely."

"Oh, glad to hear that. Any reasons?"

"We've found the reclusive Sunkle-headed long neck."

"Really?" Hermione asked amused.

"It is very white and feathered and has an black and yellow proboscis."

"Would that be a beak, rather?"

"Oh you are correct, it was a beak!" Luna exclaimed.

Hermione laughed, guessing Luna was talking about a Whooper Swan.

---

.org/wiki/Whooper_Swan

---

Harry and Hermione are still transitioning into the new huge flat, which is still after two months, bare. The bedroom is the most lived in room of the flat, with the bed and clothing and the messiness of two people sharing a room. The rest of the flat though is nearly empty, boxes piled into the spare room with their old bed set up, a nearly bare living room and a kitchen. The kitchen certainly seems to be the most used portion of the place. Piles of mail on the counter, a few dirty dishes in the sink, pots and pans, a stocked refrigerator, certainly a couple that likes to eat in rather than go out.

After eating a lot of takeout at the old flat, Harry and Hermione now prepare their own meals whenever possible, something that was not possible previously with the limited kitchen space and storage for food stuffs.

But the flat is still rather bare, Pat and Jules keep ridiculing them about it whenever they visit one another, which is often, being a floor away. They are just going slow because they do not know how they want to furnish their place just yet.

Here we are, Harry sitting doodling at the kitchen counter and Hermione sitting on the loveseat with a book, "Hermione?"

"Hmm."

"What do you think about getting fish?"

"For dinner? Sounds lovely."

"No, no, a fish that swims around in a bowl. Dudley had one once, he accidentally ate it. That poor little bugger, it was so cool looking!" Harry shook his head.

"So you want to get fish then? You know it is more than just a fish in a bowl and feeding it, right?"

"Really, like what?"

"Cleaning the tank, because I think it would be better to let it have more space to swim around."

"That doesn't sound so bad. Have you had a fish before?"

"Yes, gold fish from fairs, they died quickly."

"Aww, they don't live very long then?"

"It all depends how you take care of it or the fish, sometimes they'll live for years, but the fair ones they nearly always die."

"So are you for or against a fish?"

"It would certainly liven this place up a bit."

"Really!"

"Oh, Harry."

"Well I've never had a pet beyond Hedwig and she was nearly self sufficient."

"What you want something reliant on you?"  
"Fish just seem really neat."

"What brought this on?"

"Oh one of the chaps in my class drew fishes for his final last term and the ones we saw in Australia."

"I'm not opposed to getting fish, sounds like a pretty good idea to me."

"Means we have to go shopping and get things for this fish, maybe buy it a table."

"It will certainly get Jules and Patty off our backs."

---

Home by herself as Harry is off at the library looking up information about fish and their care, Hermione is thinking about what Luna had said those days before, she has been pondering since that lunch.

He says love often, as does she, but nothing has been said overtly, they are committed to one another, but nothing is official beyond that, unless you mean that they will walk through fire for one another or defend against anything out to hurt the other. Those things are more important than a name, she thought. He said he has never had a pet, I almost thought he was meaning something else, thankfully not. I love him, he loves me, but has anyone truly told him that since he was a small child… There, there, it clicks, the uncertainty over the expression of feelings, I knew all of this before becoming involved, I just need to wait for him and continue to help him along.. Love in figure of speech is certainly an excellent start.

AN: If this chapter really seems like it needs to be redone, let me know, I've slept the minimum to not get hit by a car the last two weeks. The Luna section has been written for awhile, it needed to be put up sooner than later. Again, do not expect another chapter until December or well into the new year.

The U.S elections are over, so I'll no longer be glued to the TV or newspapers online every free moment, but with two research papers, an oral history, and an exhibit to work on, as well as weekly papers and readings I don't see any free time. Next term my most strenuous class looks to be Beginning Russian, but I should have more time next term, around two studio art classes, another class & job/intern applications, and GRE studying.

On a side note that I will potentially be flamed for.. I am so happy about President elect, Barack Obama. Anyone elected in a time of war and an economic depression is going to have mountains to climb, but I still think things will be better and it seems the country as a whole thinks so too.


	12. What, What, What, What?

Chapter Twelve, What? What? What? What?

Two weeks later…

Hermione is still pondering the question of love and what to do.. from the status quo- keep working on the current pattern, the passive- to drop subtle hints, to the look, look, see-overtly professing her love, to the too obvious to think of-just tell him even though she thinks he already knows, to sending Harry off on an outing with Luna. She is still unsure on what to do, but alas not knowing where your partner stands on feelings is never easy.

Hermione was overall very, very distracted and Harry had noticed.

He was keeping quiet, assuming that the upcoming school year was occupying her mind.

Harry is worried. He is unsure if he is doing something wrong, if he is just over thinking everything, if she just does not want to be with him anymore and does not know how to tell him, or if, if, if, if…. His mind keeps going with even wilder scenarios, making him even more worried and paranoid… So he decided he should just clean the fish tank.

Harry spent the next little while cleaning the fish's tank and then watching as it swam around in its little world free from the worries of its owners.

-------

Jane and Mike Granger are enjoying being home. Home around family and longtime

friend's once more. Lingering thoughts of going back to Australia passed soon after they began. Essentially if they left who knows what they would miss out on! Especially when it came to their ever elusive daughter, if they left how many more things would they miss in her life after being absent for practically eight years as she grew to adulthood. Perhaps engagement, graduation from university, marriage, grandchildren, and those are just the large events that they could think of off of the top of their heads. Their, or so they assume future son in law has already offered to help them either live decently and retire or open a new dentist practice. Currently they were looking into places for hire, though retiring did not seem like too bad of an option with their prudent savings during their years of marriage and not having to pay for Hermione's university education certainly left them with much more than they expected. Their daughter and her boyfriend were quite the enigma to the Granger's. Two bright young adults, full of worldly experience and sorrow, yet at the same time rather clueless in matters such as love and relationships, puttering along, or so it seemed to her parent's, who figured they may be spending quite some time watching as their daughter and her friend figured out what they wanted and where they would go.

--------

The semester began, year three of uni for Harry and Hermione. They both continually danced around the issue of love, not yet expressing in words what they had for years been showing one another through friendship and more recently as lovers.

Harry came home one evening during the second week of the autumn university term, colours all over his hands and forearms. Hermione is sitting on the couch reading one of her textbooks. "We finally got to print!" Harry exclaimed when Hermione looked up from her book. "I'm guessing it went well?" Hermione asked with a wry grin. "Sort of, the first four, five prints look like a kindergartner's finger paintings. The last two though, I finally got it, I got the bloody paper stencil to work and the ink to actually stretch across the entire screen and onto the paper!" Harry explained with the enthusiasm of small child.

"When do I get to see your prints?"

"Oh, after the portfolio's due probably, unless you visit me in the studio, how were your classes?"

"Long!" She harrumphed, "The day is just so bloody long!"

"Lectures are, I am glad I only have one this semester."

"Lucky bastard," she grinned wryly.

"You could switch majors," He smiled.

"Someone has to support you, love," She joked.

"Oh I know, I'll be the starving artist raising the kids as you work your arse off on cases and social causes."

"I don't mind the sound of that, not like we have to worry too much about money anytime soon."

"No, we don't and we're damn lucky for it."

"So did any of the.. ink?" Harry nodded. "Did any of it get onto the paper at all?" Hermione asked grabbing his hand and turning over his arm.

"Yes!" Harry replied mocking being offended, "I'm just learning, its going to be messy I think!"

"Do I need to worry about you changing your concentration now?"

"Maybe," he replied dryly, "Any requests for dinner?"

"Hey, wash your hands before you start that."

"Dear, its water soluble and I was going to do that before I started cooking. You know I wouldn't try to poison you with art supplies, their too bloody expensive to waste for that!"

"How about uh…."

"Pizza? We have those good tomatoes and some basil I think."

"Mmm, sounds lovely," Hermione replied continuing to read her book.

Harry set the oven to 400 and pulled out some frozen pizza crust. He had recently made it a point to learn how to roll out his own dough and keep it frozen or in the refrigerator for quick and easy meals. Harry sliced up the tomatoes, put them down on the crust after pouring on a bit of olive oil, added basil and mozzarella cheese and put the pizzas in the oven which would soon be ready to eat for a nice simple dinner.

-------

Neville Longbottom is nearly one half year into being a professional Auror, like his parent's were before him. He is a fierce warrior when he needs to be. Out of battle and as a regular guy, Neville is one of the nicest most likable guys you could ever meet. He is a lover of plants, that being his knack as he grew up trying to live up to the lofty expectations of his family, being told stories of his parent's exploits before the attack when he was just a baby. Neville has been dating a fellow Auror, a woman with a specialty and in a different division from himself, so as to avoid a conflict of interest, since there will be rare occasions if any in which they will actually work together. Joan working quite often in the ministry labs, while Neville worked primarily in the field. The ministry of magic is still rebuilding and trying to renew, regain and reform its former policies, thus fraternization is not a high priority.

-------

Ginny Weasley is amidst planning her wedding and near giving up and eloping. She has no idea how Ron and Lucy dealt with her mother, the woman is bloody mad! Ginny can finally understand Fleur and her frustration with her mother in law, Ginny certainly never thought she would ever agree with her eldest brother's wife on anything! Though over the years since the war's end, they had come to a mutual understanding, tolerating and perhaps now even starting to warm up to one another. She could also see why it looked as if her brother's Charlie, Percy and George would either keep their potential weddings small or never marry.

Ginny stepped out of the floo, looking haggard. "Can your Mum really be that bad, love?" Dennis greeted her with a kiss.

Ginny sighed, "She's exhausting, I don't know how Fleur survived her!"

"Just think when it's all over we'll be married and no more threatening looks from your father and brothers, okay perhaps still but fewer," Dennis joked.

"Oh, they love you because you make me happy, don't worry about them, it's all just a show, they want to ensure their baby sister is in good hands."

"I know, how about some dinner?"

"Mmm, sounds lovely."

AN: Sorry for the long wait.. alas a rather low key chapter.. I lost a bit of what I had written around finals last winter (My computer had to be re-imaged). I've kept trying to write (but am always distracted by –work, homework, studio work, job/intern applications, worrying about what will happen to me in 3 months, yes valid reasons for current economic times). I will try not to let all of that leak into the story.. plus I'm having trouble deciding on the directions to take here.. Review if you like, thank you for reading.


	13. Now THAT explains the Weasley's

Chapter Thirteen:

One afternoon, while visiting her parent's, Hermione's mother had quite the unexpected question.

"Hermione dear, how does contraception in the wizarding world compare with ours?"

Hermione frowned, "Not very well. Like many things in wizarding society it is backwards. The methods are rather.. um archaic, there aren't many um good prevention techniques that do not have rather large stipulations."

"What do wizards and witches typically do?"

"They either seem to take no precautions at all. Take potions ensuring their intended does not have affairs with anyone besides themselves. There are different charms with varying degrees of effectiveness, from sterility to fertility. They seem to imply abstinence but most classes coming out of Hogwarts fifth, sixth or seventh year had many drop outs due to beginning families. That's what happened to one of the girls in my dorm."

"What do these charms and such do?"

"I'm not entirely sure, I wasn't too interested in school. I didn't have much of a reason to be, plus you and Dad prepared me well."

"What are wizarding families like?"

"Uh, well some, the Weasley's case in point have an insane amount of children, though most seem to only have one or two. Most seem to marry out of Hogwarts to their sweetheart. I'm not sure how the ones who wait to have children do it, maybe there are charms that aren't privy to muggle borns that are less restrictive and consequence bound. Some may also use our methods. Purebloods, well Deatheater's seem to have few children. I wonder if their wives regulate affairs or if Voldemort made his henchmen sterile, then again that wouldn't make sense if he wanted to produce more future Deatheaters.." She trailed off. "Sorry Mum, rambling, hadn't thought of that before, would sure be funny if that was the case."

"Are all of your Hogwart's friends married then?

"Most are, though not all of them."

"If the student's are pregnant before graduation how does the entire student body not know?

"We wear large robes, Mum. Actually, it would probably be fairly easy to hide."

"I am assuming by all of this that you and Harry use our methods of contraception then?"

"Yes Mum, don't worry no grandchildren anytime soon. We're very careful, birth control and condoms."

"So we're ahead of magic folk in something then?"

"Yes, Mum, in a lot of ways actually. I'm glad I have a muggle background, it would be hellish to be a pureblood and marry the first boy you found and have it turn into one hundred and thirty years of hell."

Jane laughed at that.

-

This same day, Harry was spending his time in the printmaking studio, working, working and working. It seemed on this day not a thing was going right! He was beginning to get frustrated, swearing at his screen and the image he was trying to print. His only sense of relief was the fact that he was the only one in the studio on this day.

"Bloody HELL! Print damn you! Fuck!" He exclaimed as yet another paper stencil bubbled up as he tried to print an edition. An edition is a series of prints that are the same.

"Hey mate, try using screen filler rather than paper stencils."

"Oh, oh, sorry about that," Harry replied to the fellow sheepishly.

"Not a problem mate, you just starting at this?"

"Yep, I'll try the screen filler," Harry nodded in return.

"Good luck," and the experienced printer went off to work on

his own prints.

Harry took the fellows advice after cleaning up his screen, filling the screen with filler in the sports he did not want to print. Printing went much smoother after that.

-

Ambiguous time in the semester…

Harry and Hermione are spending a Saturday lazing about in their flat listening to music.

As Chopin floated through their flat Harry and Hermione lay on the couch together enjoying an afternoon spending time collectively rather than rushing around like maniacs to classes, studying for classes and attempting to remember to feed their poor neglected fish. Though the fish probably received more loving then either one of them by this point in the semester. It is the lull when there are loads to do but not yet time to go mad getting everything ready for finals. A good time for a break between and before the madness really begins.

Harry leaned down and kissed the top of Hermione's head, "Love you."

Hermione smiled and shifted to her side, cuddling into Harry's chest, their legs entwined and arms around each other.

- - - ---- - - -

Harry doesn't have the baggage of growing up in a loving household or watching ridiculous teen movies or reading novels with idealized notions of how love should go or be.. So he says what he feels rather than waiting and stewing in agony.. As Hermione was doing before Harry said those two words off hand and without fanfare.

(827 words)

*

**AN**: I went to a recital last night, my friend played three Chopin pieces and as I was going to sleep last night (hours and hours later..), I thought about this story.. I had re-read it the night before to keep things in context (the art building was closed so I couldn't work).. I'm happy to finally have something to post for you.. as I've been in a mad dash to get things done the past two weeks (and I still have an edition of 5 prints to do by Thursday).. all of my big assignments are due Weds/Thurs.. and the weather has decided to go bonkers, we are now being dumped with snow going into next week supposedly.. last week it was warm enough to wear shorts, then a 30 deg temperature drop happened.. go figure.. Oh explanation on the first part, I thought of that one day, thinking about the bigoted pure bloods and everyone else, how would that world really take to contraception, etc.

The middle section is pointless except to show where Harry was, let me know if you believe it should be dropped..

I've been running like a madwoman lately so I may've missed some spots..

Thank you for reading!


	14. Hammerin' Harry

Chapter Fourteen-Hammerin' Harry (& the people who have been ignored).

Hermione could hear banging, cursing and the sound of things falling as she approached the door to her apartment. She was split between utter confusion as well as dismay over what Harry could possibly be doing in there. From the noises she heard as she approached their apartment up the steps and to the door, it did not sound good, for the walls, the floor, and with that the ceiling of the residents below them nor for the furniture.

Hermione unlocked the door to find Harry dressed in a flannel shirt, sleeves rolled up and a pair of his work jeans, torn up, covered in paint, glaze or ink, hammer in hand as he attempted to hammer a piece of wood onto another piece of wood.

He looked gorgeous even disheveled and covered in grime.  
"Hiya Hermione!" Harry greeted looking up momentarily before returning to his hammering.

Fortunately, Hermione saw, Harry had had the foresight to put some drop cloths down before he got to work.

"What are you doing?"

"The studio's closed. They couldn't find any monitors so I had to bring my work home, its due on Tuesday!"

"What are you making?"

"Um.." Harry hammered the nail in further. "It's for my class, Tuesday."

"You said that," Hermione smiled. "I suppose I'll ask you later."

Harry looked up briefly and grinned before going back to his work.

Hermione dragged her book bag into their den slash spare room, before wandering back into the main room to grab a glass of water.

Harry began drilling.

"Are you building a coffin? Did you accidentally run over an animal on your way home and don't want to tell me?"

"What?" Harry said before what she said hit him, "NO!"

Hermione laughed at him, grinning, "What are you building, you're not just going by the seat of your pants here are you?"

"Oh, no. The assignment was to construct a wooden sculpture, so I'm building this many pronged box, but it's not really a box, only some parts are boxey. I'm building this and then I'm going to incorporate my ceramics final in… This is rather the centerpiece for that.. My idea is to have ceramic pieces sticking out, almost growing out in some spots."

"Any sketches?"

"Oh," Harry looked around, his eyes landing on his backpack, "I forgot them in my locker, but it's all in my head!"

"I can't wait to see the end product," Hermione replied before getting back to other room before more wood shavings ended up in her water.

e

Hermione closed the door, set down with her water and plugged a pair of headphones into her mp3 player and set it to play some Rachmaninoff as she dug into some examples of cases.

e e e

Ginny Weasley and Dennis Creevey stared at each other after apparating home from St. Mungo's. Ginny walked over and sat on their couch, Dennis followed, sat down and embraced his lover. "I love you."

"I love you too, Denny."

Dennis grinned.

Ginny laughed and asked him, "How are we going to tell my mum?"

"Let's tell my parent's and your Dad first. Is now the time to tell them we got married on the island's last summer and were only planning on having another wedding to keep your Mum happy?"

"Fuck.. the bloody wedding.. Mum's going to have kittens when she finds out.. and then maybe an aneurysm."

"Oh, it won't be so bad.. this way Victorie will have a cousin closer to her age… She'll forget all about it after she learns about her new grandchild and we are married.. since she's old fashioned like that she can't get pissed about it.. Why is the wizarding world so backwards in things like that.. only some muggles still agree with them."

"I don't know love.. but what do you think boy or girl?"

"Looking at our family's…" He began and then they said together, "Probably a boy." They both laughed and cuddled up together overwhelmed in their joy.

e

The next day..

"So it's an eight base shaped shelf with random triangles cut out of the sides and shelves?" Hermione asked looking at Harry's nearly finished sculpture assignment.

"It is not an eight!" Harry exclaimed frustrated and much too close to the project.

"Cool it, love. It just resembles an eight, that's all."

"But the first thing you said is it looks like an eight! AGH." He exclaimed as he ran his fingers through his hair. Apparently working with wood was not his favourite thing to do.

"Harry, relax, what's important is, is it stable? Will it work for your plans? How are you going to finish it?"

"Its solid. I'm going to sand off the rough spots. Paint it."

"What colour?"

"I'm thinking black.. or a steely grey." Harry replied as he started pacing.

"Harry, why did you cut off all the corners?"

"Figured it would be more interesting like that.. I'm glad I did."

"And the random triangle shaped holes?"

"Oh, those are where my ceramics pieces will be integrated in.. It's going to be brilliant!"

"I look forward to seeing it." Hermione smiled at her manic boyfriend, "Won't you sit down?"

"Uh.. Oh right." He sat on the chair opposite her at their table, laid out with two plates of breakfast. His right foot began tapping furiously.

Hermione laughed, "How much coffee have you had?"

"Um.." He smiled blushing, "Probably a wee more than a person should consume in two days."

"I'm glad I made green tea for breakfast then. You're going to crash after breakfast aren't you?"

Harry shrugged, yawning, "Maybe," as he dug into his toast eggs and bacon.

"You have the rest of the weekend to paint your sculpture, get some sleep, I'll probably join you for a nap in a couple hours." She told him, as she smothered raspberry jam on her toast.

"Want to go see Teddy tomorrow?" Harry asked after finishing his eggs and starting on another piece of bacon.

Hermione swallowed, "Yeah, we haven't made it over there in awhile.. Agh I hope he still remembers us."

"He remembered us last time after we didn't make it for awhile, I can't believe he's two already! Bloody hell, was his birthday the last time we were there?"

"No, we've been there once since then. Urf, it has been awhile, Poor Andromeda all alone chasing after a two year old."

"She loves him though and he's all she has left." Harry said somberly.

e e e

Percy Weasley has been a partner in his brother George's and the late Fred's joke shop for nearly three years now.. And today, today he is presenting George with his very first joke idea. Percy Weasley has a joke! Percy Weasley thought up a joke? Is this a joke?!

Pet food that changes the pet's hair colour.

Yes, THAT is Percy's first joke. No, no it's not a regular old colour, the colours are a wild variety, from hot pink to puce to carnival colours… Or whatever colour the customer asks for in a special order. Percy tested his joke on his sister in law, Lucy's dog. She took the joke much better than the off pranked Ron, whom looked about ready to blow his top when he saw the old sheep dog the colour of Dumbledore's feast robes (the purple ones with the stars.. the dog did not have the stars), but when Lucy started laughing her ass off, Ron's anger subsided and saw the humour in his third eldest brother's prank.

e e e

The following day, Harry and Hermione did not visit Ted empty handed, they brought him a stuffed wolf. Teddy grinned beaming up at them his hair turning blue as he hugged his new toy. The boy was well on his way to having one of every stuffed wolf in existence.

"Hiya Teddy!" Harry exclaimed picking the boy up and tossing him in the air, Teddy laughing, "Again! Again!" Harry readily obliged.

"How are you Andromeda, We're really sorry we haven't made it here as much as we'd like."

"Hermione, I understand, you are both in school. I'm doing wonderful actually. I'm very glad to be magical because I have much more energy than a muggle would at my age chasing after this little bugger," Andromeda told Hermione pointing at the laughing Teddy, as Harry played with him.

Teddy is quite the rambunctious two year old, always getting into everything and soaking everything in. He was already on his way to being a prank master like his Dad was, well once he learned the subtleties of sneaking around and reading and planning. Already he has changed a few of his Grandmother's shirts to obnoxious colours, accidentally of course.

e e e

George called Percy into his office that afternoon. "Brother o mine, I am so proud!" He told Percy with over the top emotion. "Your first joke! Fred would be so stunned, ol' Perc actually coming up with pranks.. Come to think of it he probably would've been in shock right now." George paused a minute before he began to speak again, "So let's talk colours, Perce ol' boy!" And the two brother, once so separated by outlooks put their heads together and plotted out the line of Percy's first joke.

e e

"COME ON JOAN, URGH, I ALREADY SAID I WAS SORRY!" Neville yelled angrily as he opened the door to the bedroom he and Joan shared.

"BUT YOU STILL DID IT!" She screamed back.

"HOW CAN YOU NOT UNDERSTAND? WE WORK IN THE SAME DEPARTMENT, HOW CAN YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?"

"HOW CAN YOU NOT SHOW UP ANYWHERE ON TIME?"

"I CANNOT JUST LEAVE EARLY! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? IT'S MY JOB. I CAN'T WALK OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN UNDERCOVER ASSINGMENT. YOU KNOW THAT!"

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE IT!"

"CAP ORDERED ME AND JOHNSON TO TAKE IT JOAN, I HAD TO DO MY JOB, ITS MY JOB. IT'S YOUR JOB TOO, I DON'T GET ALL PISSY WHEN YOUR LATE. YOU KNOW HOW TOUGH THE JOB IS, HOW WE CAN BE ORDERED HERE OR THERE ANYTIME WHETHER THE BEGINNING OR END OF OUR SHIFT, EITHER WAY THE JOB HAS TO BE DONE, THERE'S NOTHING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT!"

"I DON'T CARE NEVILLE, THAT WAS THE SECOND RESCHEDULE, THE SECOND ONE!" She paused and spoke calmly and rationally, "I don't think we should see each other anymore, Neville, you need to find another place to live."

Neville stared at her stunned. "What?" He croaked.

"We're through, Neville, this is it, I won't be here tomorrow, so come back then and get your stuff out."

"But…" He trailed off as she slammed the bedroom door shut. He had to get out of there! He walked out the door and didn't look back for quite awhile…

e e e

AN: Thank you for reading.

Sorry for the wait.. probably used to one by now unfortunately. I started the chapter a few weeks ago and than inspiration to finish it finally struck in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep, of course! Now if only inspiration would strike for cover letters or that there were jobs for 20 something college grads...

Here's to a chapter out by August……………

I hope you are enjoying the story.

Word count: 1,817.


	15. Night at the Pub

Chapter Fifteen- Night at the Pub.

Neville walked into the pub he regularly visited with Harry, and sat at the bar.

"HEY! I KNOW YOU!"

Neville turned and looked at the fellow who plopped down onto the stool next to him, a woman sat next to him. "Hi Jules," Neville replied downtrodden.

"What's wrong Neville?" Pat asked.

"Oh, I just got dumped so I went over to Harry's but he and Hermione weren't home."

"I'm sorry mate!" Jules exclaimed sadly patting Neville on the back.

"Excuse me a moment," Pat said to the gentlemen and walked over to the door and pulled out her mobile telephone, dialing Harry's number.

Ring.. Ring… the line picked up.

"Harry! You have to get down the pub, Neville's down here getting pissed."

She listened to his reaction.

"He got dumped. …..

See you in a few then, bye," and she pressed the end button and returned to her seat at the bar.

When Harry got there a few minutes later with Hermione in tow, Neville, Pat and Jules were in the corner booth, Harry slid in next to Neville, Hermione sliding in beside him.

"Hi guys," Neville greeted them sadly.

"Hi Neville, how are you?"

"Harry!" Hermione hit his arm.

"Sorry, Neville, I know you must feel like shit, if there's anything I can do, anything at all let me know, okay?"

"Uh, can you help me move tomorrow?"

"Tomorrows Sunday, right?"

"That it is Harry, what did you not sleep again?" Pat asked him.

"Shut up, Patricia. Neville, that's fine, whenever you want to.. You can stay at our place tonight if you want." Harry told Neville.

"Really?"

"It's no problem at all," Hermione reassured him.

"Tha.. Thank you."

They ordered another round as a waitress circled.

After they were all settled with fresh pints, Hermione asked, "Will you tell us what happened, Nev?"

"Sure.. Well… I can sort've see why she was upset, but my job is my job, I can't just skip out on my job, right?"

"Right." The table chorused.

"We were supposed to have dinner with one of her relatives, not sure who.. and this is the second or third time I had to reschedule or miss it. I mean I didn't mean to but Captain sent out Johnson and I to survey a house. I can't say Hey Cap, I get off in three hours and this'll take six or so, can I maybe not go because my girlfriend wants to have dinner? Fuck no, that'd go over great.. So worried about a dinner, Longbottom, how 'bout deskwork for the next six months. You'd think since she's also an ar.. detective she'd understand and give me some leeway about work, but nooo has to be a fucking bitch about it. It's not like I went out and got pissed and skipped out on the dinner.. I was at my bloody job! She started screaming at me when she got home… We yelled at one other back and forth for awhile then she finally threw out we're through and get out.

So I guess that's that.. We're done.. Bloody hell I have to find a place to live now!" Neville took a big gulp of his drink.

Harry patted Neville on the back, "Don't worry mate, you'll find someplace…. You could um.. well, I'm not sure if you'd want to live there…" Harry trailed off.

"What're you going on about, Harry?" Pat asked.

"Oh, nothing," Harry shrugged. Pat and Jules replied with crazy looks. Hermione laughed, Harry and Neville were not doing well with the secrecy statutes tonight, than again Jules looked ready to pass out on Pat's shoulder, as his head lolled to the side. Apparently when he said he'd be having some fun after that take home exam was finished and turned in he really meant it.. and to a bit of an extreme for his liver.

"Are you going to need help getting Jules home, Pat?" Hermione asked her friend shaking her head at her fiancé, using her for a pillow.

"Yeah, I suppose I am. What are those professor's doing to you, Hermione? It's pretty rare that he goes out and gets this toasted."

"Oh, the steady onslaught of work on top of work on top of work on top of other classes," Hermione replied dully.

"What's the matter with yours?"

"Oh, he didn't sleep much the last two nights."

"Ah, I'm guessing I don't want to know, or was he working on that big project he was mumbling about to me earlier in the week?"

"A bit of both," Hermione grinned cheekily, before taking a sip out of her mug.

"Salud," Pat brought her glass up and clinked with Hermione's, they both drank and laughed.

Neville was starting to cheer up a bit as Harry talked nonsense at him.. something about sawing, wood and paint, all jumbled together without a lot of sense. Well, Harry's talk was getting Neville to laugh, eventually he began to chatter back after the both of them did a few shots of vodka. Hermione and Pat looked at the other and then looked at the boys and laughed, which got Harry to turn to Hermione smile and kiss her. Neville laughed at that too.

"I'm thinking its closing time," Pat announced, "The barman is giving us the evil eye."

"Aww!" Harry and Neville whined.

"Can you two stand up?" Hermione asked as she slid out of the booth.

Harry slid out and only wobbled a bit, "Whoa!" He exclaimed standing up. Neville laughed at him as he followed Harry in standing, shaking a bit more then Harry, but together they steadied one another.

"Jules," Pat called shaking him.

"Huh?" He asked blinking.

"Its time to go home, honey."

"Oh, fuck did I fall asleep?" Jules asked standing up, just slightly steadier then Harry.

"That you did," Hermione laughed.

The troop of them walked out the pub and back to their apartment building a few blocks away. Both women made the guys drink some water before they went to bed.

AN: Thanks for reading!


	16. Harry is Crazy on caffeine

Chapter Sixteen- Harry is Crazy

The next day, Neville awoke first, used the loo, and then knocked softly on Hermione and Harry's door. When he got no answer he pushed it open a crack and hoped that they were both clothed. He took a chance and peeked in, wooh they're dressed. "Hey Harry, Hermione, wake up," He called. He took a step into the room and called again, "Hallo, wake up." They slept on. Neville grinned evilly and then shouted, "Hey Harry, your sculpture's on fire."

Harry sat up like a rocket, "Where's the fire?" He asked staring at Neville wide eyed.

"Nowhere, Harry."

"Neville, that was cruel, you didn't have to listen to him making that thing!" Hermione greeted Neville hotly.

"Oh relax and get your butts up, well at least Harry, since he said he'd help me move."

"Can we have breakfast first, mate?" Harry inquired of his friend.

"What're we having?" Neville grinned back.

"Oh uh.. Hermione, pancakes?" He asked his slipping back into a slumber girlfriend.

"You're making pancakes?!" She sat up smiling sleepily.

"Yep, you better get up so you can eat some when they're ready."

"You don't fight fair."

"Want some coffee too sweetheart?" Harry asked as he pulled on some jeans over his boxers.

"Yes please!"

Harry went to the loo, brushed his teeth and then began breakfast.

- - - - -

Neville and Harry made quick work of his former shared flat, he didn't have too many things besides some books and knickknacks beyond his clothes. The furniture was all his exes so it only took them a few hours to pack up his stuff and transport it to his Gran's for temporary storage. All he took with him to Harry and Hermione's was a bag of clothes and his Auror gear. For now he will be staying with them, rather than out in the countryside at his Gran's, they figured it would be easier for him to hunt for a new place from there, plus being alone at his Gran's could certainly contribute to depression after his breakup.

- -- - -

One morning later that week, Harry is making breakfast, Neville walks in on Harry making inane noises at the food.

Hermione is at the table reading a book, looking as if this is not an unusual occurrence. Neville sat down at the table kiddy corner from Hermione. "Morning, is that normal?" He asked pointing at Harry scowling at the eggs he was scrambling.

Hermione shrugged, "You get used to it. He's only like this after spending nearly all night in the studios. He didn't get in till five or so."

"Wow, there's dedication, I figured that was only useful for stakeouts."

"Nope, pottery making too."

"Ah."

"Oh, he's going to be exhausted by the end of the day."

"Broogh. RAGH." Came Harry grunting at their food.

"Hermione, really?" Neville asked worriedly at Harry's display.

"Didn't you know Neville? Harry is crazy."

"And you put up with him?"

Hermione laughed, "Of course I do, I love him. Don't worry, after a cup of coffee or five he'll be back to his normal self, it's just a bit of sleep deprivation, I'm betting you were crazy some weeks during your training."

"Well, they did put us through sleep deprivation, we didn't do it to ourselves on purpose," Neville replied thinking that purposefully doing such a thing was ridiculous.

"Nev, Harry and I are uni students, sleep gets pushed to the wayside all the time unfortunately. It's not the best idea, but it is a way to survive a semester without falling behind."

"But don't you feel like utter shite after staying up all or most of a night? How do you pay attention to your lectures then?"

"We make do with loads of caffeine, or an apple throughout the day to keep us alert. Some days note taking fails and you have to study that part doubly. Or you beg a friend for the notes," Hermione grinned.

"Wait a mo', Hermione Granger is borrowing other's notes and not paying complete attention?"

"Hey, I can't memorize all of this stuff, a lot yes, but not all, it's not as easy as Hogwarts was for me.. and even then I was always studying, only reason I knew so much.. and I slept well.. wow, the days of sleep, who would think that would be the epicenter of sleep for my life so far."

"That's rather hilarious considering you were running around in a tent your last year."

Hermione grinned, "Yeah, damn that was damn long time ago, pretty wild how much we've all grown up."

Harry dropped a plate of bacon, toast and eggs in front of the both of them, before gathering up his own plate and the coffee pot.

"Coffee," Harry smiled as he sniffed at and then drank from his mug, sighing contently.

As Harry lovingly drank his coffee, Neville asked Hermione, "Is that the sculpture Harry was working on last week?"

Harry grinned.

"Yeah, bloody hell love, did you seriously paint the interior holes red without splotching a bit of the black paint in? Damn no wonder you didn't get any sleep!"

Harry grinned wider and said, "I actually did that first , covered it up and then painted over it with the black paint, took a few coats but I got it all done, ready to turn in today! Agh, its critique day and I didn't sleep," Harry put his arms over his head, covering his face.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine, eat! Drink your coffee!" Hermione ordered the last bit.

"Coffee," Harry smiled before taking a sip.

AN: Thanks for reading.. if any of you have faced big projects, I'm betting you can understand Harry's caffeine love. Next up, a Weasley chapter.


	17. Weasley's, Weasley's, Weasley's!

Chapter Seventeen- Weasley's, Weasley's, Weasley's.. and more coming.

After an Sunday afternoon at the Burrow, Ginny and Dennis just got home and are discussing the big revelation…

"I still can't believe it."

"Believe. It happened. It's over you can relax now."

"I'm not dead!"

"My love, the better thing would be to remember that I am not dead, she wouldn't kill you, but me, there's a high chance she may kill me yet."

Laughter, they erupted into joyous laughter as they realized that they survived the big revelation to her very large family.

- - - - -

"They got off a lot nicer then if it were you or me," Ron said to his brother.

Bill laughed, "I'm surprised there not dead for doing that to mum. I figured she would blow him up or something."

"Eh, I don't think that would go over well. Our dear baby sister she just wouldn't stand for it. At least they're married already, otherwise Mum would have blown the fellow up regardless of the consequences, what doing that to her baby and all."

"Ha ha, you are right about that." Bill laughed, "I'm just surprised they weren't all over the place at your wedding proclaiming their happily wedded bliss."

"I know! I'm especially flabbergasted they waited this long to say anything myself. Then again, he is much more relaxed and uh.. don't kill me for saying this, less self centered."

"No, no, you're right. I guess that's what happens when you're the spoiled baby girl with five older brothers?"

Ron laughed.

Arthur sat in his shed tinkering with a toaster, well he didn't know it was a toaster from a micromajave or any other muggle device, but he certainly did enjoy tinkering with all the wonderful elecktronic thing a ma jigs muggles used to remedy the everyday simplicities of life without magic.

Arthur tinkered and thought about the news of another grandchild. He was certainly happy, but did not expect this so soon from his daughter, hoping she would have waited even just a bit longer..

While Arthur loves his children, he wishes he and his wife had had a bit more time to enjoy each other before having children one after another after another and so forth. He is especially happy that Ron is planning to enjoy his marriage for some time before having children. That young man sure has grown so very much in the past few years.

Perhaps after he retires he and Molly can enjoy one another?

Whoops, perhaps not, all these children will certainly lead to oh goodness how many grandchildren will I have?

- - - - - -

"Well my brother, how does it feel to see your first prank sell out?

"Why was I such a tight ass in our youth? This is bloody brilliant!" Percy joyously told his younger brother while grinning rather maniacally as little school children picked up his products and laughed as they thought of the tricks they could play on their siblings, friends and parents.

"Honestly Perce, I never thought you would ever loosen up, this will probably help extend your life you uptight bastard!" And he clapped Percy on the back affectionately before pulling him into a hug.

- - - - - - - -

AN: Wow, 6 Weasley's and a Weasley spouse were all in this one! Thanks for reading. Sorry it's so short.

Note: Before I get flames for misspelling microwave & electronic, that was on purpose.


	18. Finals

Chapter Eighteen-Finals

Harry being an art student only had finals the first three days of the week, Hermione on the other hand had one four out of the five days including an unfortunate eight am final on Friday. "Who puts a bloody final on Friday at eight in the bloody morning? Fucking bastards!" That was Hermione's reaction upon receiving the schedule. Jules concurred, "Dr. Thompson is just a fucking bastard, happy morning person or something, bloody hell, any other professor would be racing to the scheduling office to get it changed to even an hour later, but not that fucker."

* * * * * *

As Harry made finishing touches to his final projects, Hermione was studying her notes, re-reading chapters, polishing up semester long papers and writing the last minute essays her professor's assigned for the final week. Harry made sure to stay out of her way unless she needed help going over something or to be forced into eating sustenance beyond massive amounts of caffeinated beverages. He also forced her to get some sleep rather than stay awake all night and edit for the fifth time the 10 or so page paper she had completed brilliantly a month prior for one class, or another paper for another class, or the essay she completed yesterday and which she had already made him read and re-read five times today.

* * * * * *

Finals week is when Hermione's obsessive compulsiveness about school work and studying comes back in full force, normally she is reasonable, but the weeks leading to and the week of finals it always came back in full force. Harry supposed the lack of life or death situations on a daily basis led to her being more relaxed normally as opposed to how she was during their Hogwarts days. He also figured she just grew up and didn't have the time especially if she also wanted to have a life outside of the books. Harry even chuckled at times when it seemed like he read more books then Hermione, as all she read were textbooks and he slipped in a pleasurable read every now and then even if it was only while he was on the toilet.

* * * * * *

Harry and Pat's last final was Wednesday afternoon, so they hit the pubs with a horde of their classmates.

"Does Jules have as many exams as Hermione?" Harry asked Pat as they settled in a corner table with a pint each surrounded by other relieved classmates.

"Yeah, remember they have nearly all the same classes this term, Jules' last exam is Friday morning though, the unlucky bastard!"

"Hermione has the same one, eight in the bleedin' morning. I think she was about ready to go and murder the evil doctor of law."

"Jules was too, till he saw the Prof's name and figured of course it'd be that guy, now if only I could remember who that was."

"Oh I know! I try to keep up but it just doesn't happen.. often."

"So there's why their going to law school and we're art students?"

"Oh yah, I suppose." Harry grinned and took a big drink of his pint.

* * * * * *

A few hours later, "Oy, Oy EVERYBODY!" Yelled one of Harry and Pat's classmates, Joe, Harry thought but wasn't sure as he was rather fuzzy.

"GRAB A SHOT! COME ON, ALL OF US! THIS IS A BLEEDIN CELEBRATION! A TOAST TO ANOTHER TERM COMPLETED. NO MORE DEADLINES FOR ANOTHER MONTH, YES! DO WORK YOU WANT TO DO WITHOUT A BLEEDIN' DEADLINE, YES! DRINK ON ONE, TWO, THREE, GO!" And they all drank the shot that had previously been set before them, some in a couple gulps, others in one go.

* * * * * *

Seven o' clock, Neville walks into the pub and heads toward the back where he sees Harry's wild hair and walks up to the crowd. "NEV!" Harry exclaims in greeting, "Hey, Chris, shove over, let my mate sit next to me will ya?"

"Oh sure," Chris replied scooting over and letting Neville sit beside Harry.

Harry then sloppily poured Neville a pint from the pitcher on the table.

* * * * * *

Hermione knew Harry would stumble in, she was just not sure which hour he finally would. His final exam period was three to five thirty so depending how much he paced himself he could be stumbling in at anytime now. Since it was only ten she figured it would be awhile yet and decided to go to bed. Even Hermione knew she had to give up studying at some point to sleep, even if it could be better served to over study and then drink way too much coffee in the morning. Sleep was the best way to go, especially if your prepared for your exams and do not have to do loads of cramming.

* * * * * *

At one in the morning, Neville finally persuaded Harry and Pat to go home. He walked Pat to her door and then took Harry to his apartment, where Neville was still sleeping for now.

Harry went to the kitchen, grabbed a glass and turned on the faucet and drank some water, grinned at Neville and said, "Thanks, good night." Drank another glass, threw his jacket onto a kitchen chair and stumbled into his bedroom, divesting himself of clothing as soon as he hit the doorway and climbed into bed, snuggling up next to the sleeping Hermione.

* * * * * *

A few hours later Harry sat up threw off the blankets, Hermione woke with a start as Harry frantically muttered "Voldemort on ice with pa pa penguins, arahh!" Before looking at her with wide eyes and then grabbing her in a bear hug.

"Shhh, shhh, Harry its okay, it was only a nightmare." She told him soothingly as she rubbed his back.

"But penguins!"

"I know, I know." They slid down to a lying position and went back to sleep.

The nightmare would be forgotten by morning.

* * * * * *

Friday, Hermione finished her final exam, went home and crawled back into bed with Harry. Another term completed. For now it is time to take a break, have a little fun and rest before starting it all over again in a month or so.

AN: Sorry for the delay.. I'm back in school, a month in already, its flying by. I hope you all enjoyed this, hopefully the next chapter will be more substantial and coherent. Thank you for reading.


	19. 1st day, Neville and Happy Percy

Chapter 19-First day of break, Neville and Happy Percy

On Saturday, Hermione awoke later then her norm. Vacation, finally, after nearly four months of hard work. She looked around the bedroom, Harry's side of the bed was empty, but as it was nearly noon she expected he would be awake. Harry had never been much for sleeping in. She liked to when she could let herself give up that, drive to get things done, but that was usually just too much. The day after finals was typically one of the days she allowed herself the luxury of sleeping in. Hermione looked around their room, it was not the cleanest, some laundry in a basket and on the floor around the basket, some clothes hanging out of the drawers, but better then it could be! She put on a pair of sweat pants and a pulled on a long sleeved shirt before padding into the rest of the flat.

Harry was sleeping on the couch with a book on his chest. So Hermione decided to start making some food as it's about lunchtime. Hmm, what to make? As Hermione rattled around in the kitchen preparing lunch with there rather limited selection. Harry sat up and stretched when Hermione was nearly done with their meal. He wandered off to use the loo, before coming out and going to see what Hermione is up to in the kitchen. She is putting in the finishing touches as he walks over. "Will you grab something to drink?" She asked as she took down two bowls and started to scoop some food into each bowl.

"Sure, what would you like?"

"Do we still have any of that juice?"

"Sure do." Harry poured two glasses of juice and took them to the table, as Hermione brought over their lunch.

Harry looked at his bowl and declared, "Awesome, grains, vegetable and meat!"

"Ha, ha, ha, when _was_ the last time we went to the grocery store?"

"Um…" he trailed off, "I don't actually recall when."

"And hey, I think the last time we had this or something like it you made it just after we went to the store!"

"Well, I wasn't saying it was bad! I enjoy it and it gets us a lot of nutrients we need," Harry grinned at her.

"Okay, this is ridiculous," and she took a bite of her food. Harry followed suit and started eating.

A few minutes later.

"How is your book?"

"Really good!"

"What's it about?"

"The Iberian Peninsula just broke off from Europe and started to float away one day. I'm not very far into it, but where I left off two of the characters were driving into Spain from Portugal followed by a giant flock of birds!" Harry said excitedly.

"Wow! Like the Hitchcock movie?"

"I've never seen it."

"It's a classic."

- - - - -

Neville has found it! Finally after a month of searching he has found his new flat, a one bedroom, perfect for a bachelor. Neville found it quite odd, that this would be the first time that he would have his very own place of living without any roommates at all. He's quite happy about this.

While staying with Harry and Hermione was nice, he knew it was not his place and he felt bad intruding in his two friend's space. Though at some times he felt like he was there more then they were! He supposed that is what its like when you are a student. He wondered how they survived on so little sleep and so much running around and time here and there but not at home. He rather liked that you could only be assigned to two stakeouts a week and if it went over two days you got three days off to keep you sharp. Neville loves his job, loves helping track down the scum of the wizarding world including those few remaining deatheaters. He was quite pleased with his department, after two years of freedom, they finally found something to stick on the Malfoy for good to keep them from continuing to poison the general populace. Ol' Lucius was trying to once again bribe the Minister of Magic. Did the man ever learn?

Neville apparated to his Gran and started the process of moving his things to his new flat.

- - - - - - - -

Percy is ecstatic, he just got home from the best first date he has ever been on. Who knew that George would set him up on a great date? Knowing George, the date would more likely be a giant joke, but it turned out to be a good one. For some reason, after turning his brother down with date offers a number of times, he accepted this one and it was splendid! They had things in common! Perhaps George is not as ungrounded as he thought, then again, he knew that! He had been shown that many times over the past year and a half or so that he has worked with his brother. His brother hid his thoughtfulness, consideration and astuteness behind an air of frivolity and jokes. His brother certainly is quite the character, Percy also wondered if George would be this much more mature with Fred still around as he was with him gone. Then Percy thought ridiculously, his two younger brother's were actually quite mature in their joint business venture, the finances, joke creating, all of it were done superbly! His only sadness of the thought was he would not be so close to his brother George without Fred's death, he missed his brother dearly, but did not miss the awful pranks the pair of them would always pull on him.

His thoughts drifted back to his much more happy thoughts, hmm, would tomorrow be too early to call? I really like her, I hope she feels the same; I want to keep getting to know her! Screw it I will call her tomorrow and ask her for another date, it will be nothing worse then a simple no, or a yes.

AN: Another chapter! Apparently this is what happens when I'm all inspired to work on projects, I stay up late and write! (which will bite me tomorrow with work). I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, shall I stick with JKR's name for Percy's love interest or come up with something else (and this is AU, of course)? For all any of us know they will fall splat! I'll probably not write for the next week with crunch time coming up, two more editions due a week from this next one for portfolios. Thank you for reading (and reviewing if you like)!

=Right, the novel Harry is talking about is "The Stone Raft" by Jose Saramago, really good so far, I'm about as far as Harry is, school started and my reading time went down to zilch. =


	20. Sledding and a Vader

**Important authors note**:

My grammar and syntax is now much worse then it was prior to my head injuries, so I apologize.. if it gets really bad, tell me it is and I'll try to find a beta to help me fix things. I didn't work on much though tried to work on this for months but couldn't remember Ron's wife's name so worked around that as much as possible, then it came back and I wrote more and re-read the story again and again.. Then about a week ago I bumped my head again and have been rather hazy since, finals week is next week, so I am very fortunate to only have one final, the rest of my things are a project, a critique and portfolio due. Then a month off where I hope to work on this, head injury allowing. So here it is….

Chapter Twenty: Sledding and a Vader.

On the first Monday of their break, Harry and Hermione picked up Teddy for a couple days. This also gives Andromeda time to herself. This being the first time since the summer that Harry and Hermione have had Teddy for any extended period of time they and Teddy are very excited to as he says they are going to, "Have fun!"

-

They decided to take Teddy sledding near Hermione's parent's house. This being the first year that he could really run up and down the hill himself it included much less carrying of a toddler up and down the sliding hill as in previous years, and much more group slides down the hill, wheeing all the way down. Teddy liked to yell "wheee!" as they slid down the hill.

-

Luna Lovegood wandered around the thrift store wearing a straw hat. "Won't you be cold in that hat?" Hermione asked as she attempted to pull a sweater over her head and got stuck. "Bloody hell, can't they at least put the right sizes together?"

"That looked to be a miniature size before you tried to put it on, H." Jules laughed coming over with a billiards stick.

"Oh, shit, yeah this is really the wrong size. Have to look at the tags, its just such a magnificent blue! I was captured by the blue." Hermione replied staring at it.

"Hermsie's always liked blue. This hat will be good in the springtime when I garden with my father."

"Oh good, you're not wearing it in the snow, that's a relief," Pat laughed.

"Ah, you lot should've seen the hats Luna made in secondary school, really spectacular, with movable parts, like mobiles almost," Harry told Pat and Jules, "Love, would that one fit, Teddy?"

"I think it's a women's," Hermione looked at the tag, "Shit, really isn't, may fit Ted or he could grow into it!"

"We'll add it to the box," Harry replied, "It is rather nice, the kid will look awfully dashing in it."

"Why do you have a cue stick, Jules?"

"Oh, tradition is Dad and I play a game during the holidays, bad luck is we seem to always break at least one of our sticks. So I saw this and figured immediate replacement for a bargain!"

-

That evening the whole lot of them and Neville hit the pub.

"Hey Ron, have a drink," Pat said grinning devilishly as she handed him a Tom Collins glass filled with liquor. (A Tom Collins glass is a tall glass).

"What's this?" He asked as he lifted the glass and looked at its odd colour.

"A Darth Vader."

Ron had a blank look to that name and took a rather large gulp, his eyes widening as he swallowed. "BLOODY HELL! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!"

"I told you, a Darth Vader." The rest of the group laughed, even Neville knew about the Star Wars sometimes Villain, sometimes Hero.

"What's in it?"

"The better question would be what's not in it." Jules answered him.

"Oh bloody hell, what did you damn kids do to my husband?" Lucy asked seriously before breaking into a ridiculous grin.

"We're kids? We're all about the same age as you, Luce," Hermione asked.

"Well you act like children more then Ron and I."

Harry spit out his lager, "Are you kidding, you're blocking out the fact that your husband mocked out an entire, kqe football match just last weekend?"

"It was my match!"

"So that's different?"

"Of course it is!"

Everyone but Lucy and Ron laughed.

"So you've really never seen Star Wars, Ron?"

"Stars War? Why would stars be at war? I don't get it."

"Damn, your parent's must have been strict to not let you watch Star Wars." Jules commented.

"We didn't have telly, we lived out in the country."

"Ah, so you're a country bumpkin then! I get it now!" Pat exclaimed.

"How did you all meet?" Jules inquired, "I know I've probably been told before.." He trailed off.

"We went to boarding school together," Luna put in, before going back to stirring and playing with her drink.

"How did you meet?" Ron asked Jules and Pat.

"First week of classes, I ran into her."

"Smack into her?" Lucy asked jokingly.

"Yes, exactly like that. I spilled her coffee so offered to buy her another."

"We hit it off, over those cups of coffee and exchanged numbers before we went our own ways that afternoon."

"I called her the next day."

"Quickest call back for a date, I ever got!"

"We went out for curry that weekend."

"That was amazing curry, I love that place!"

Jules smiled, "Funny thing is turned out that was the dregs of her cup anyway, but damn am I glad I didn't let Pat keep objecting to me buying her another cup."

Pat smiled back at him holding his hand.

"Oy, I never did ask, how was your time with Teddy?" Ron asked Harry and Hermione.

"Great, we took him sledding out by Hermione's parent's. There's a park with an awesome hill!"

"Harry had never been sledding before last year, I can't believe he missed out on that, I mean Dudley couldn't have even shoved you down a hill?" Hermione joked.

"Perhaps he didn't want to get more questions as to why I broke my arm again?" Harry asked laughing.

"Perchance how is that funny?" Luna inquired looking up from her gin and tonic.

"I have a twisted sense of humour, Luna my dear, didn't you realize before?" Harry replied asking his dear friend rather formally.

"You did not show such a quirky jokey streak when we were younger."

"Well, I don't think McGonagall would've approved," Harry guffawed. "Her and Dumbledore and ol' Snape breathing down my neck, he came up with any means possible to give me detention. Sledding is amazing, why didn't we sled in school?"

"I loved tobogganing as a child! Still love it actually, damn were those great times out at my Grandparent's! Bundled up in snowsuits where we could barely move, putting my little cousins and little brother in a sled and sending them down the hill!"

"Why didn't we sled at school, there were all sorts of hills and plenty of snow, what the fuck!" Hermione exclaimed. "Was I that stuck in books to not go outside of goof around in the snow? You guys played football, but we never did much else outside besides visit Hagrid!"

"Hagrids a funny name!" Pat laughed.

"What's a Hagrid?"

"Oh, Hagrid was our…. School veterinarian, he took care of the stables and such too," Neville explained, his auror training coming in handy to deftly get out of a weird answer to muggles.

-

AN** This chapter is appallingly brief and if my brain would allow I would have added much more and touched upon the holidays here.. and more with Ted, but I kept freezing there. I keep trying to write more, but can't right now, pretty much just want to sleep and then can't sleep.. and I've spent way too many hours in the printing studio then one should. May when the brain clears up revise and expand upon this but I felt too bad about making you all wait so long as is so posted what I had with some changes.

*The drink a Darth Vader is really, really strong and I do not recommend drinking one unless you want to choke down something awful.


	21. Christmas

Chapter Twenty One: Christmas

On Christmas morning Harry and Hermione went to Andromeda's to help her and the three and a half year old Teddy open his presents. Teddy received loads of prettily wrapped gifts from his Grandmother, Harry, Hermione, as well as gifts from friend's of his parents. Though being a three year old, he seemed more intent on playing with the wrapping paper and going inside the boxes, then the toys and had absolutely no interest in the clothing at all, especially the rather large garish hot pink and grey sweater Molly Weasley had knitted and sent for him. Perchance Molly is starting to lose it?

Andromeda picked up the sweater and stared at it before turning to Harry and Hermione and asking, "She does know that Teddy is a boy right?"

"Wasn't that Tonks preferred hair choice?" Hermione asked.

"It was, but its Teddy, not Tedia." Which led to Harry rolling on the floor with Teddy roughhousing and laughing hysterically as they rolled around amidst the wrapping paper. "Why couldn't it have been that fetching shade of blue, Remus loved to sport so often?"

"Howwooooo!" Teddy howled at the mention of his Daddy.

"I'd have thought she'd knit him up something with a wolf or a moon," Harry put in, finally overcoming his laughter. Though if Teddy kept howling joyously Harry may soon be right back at it.

"Did you see all the wolves you got today Teddy? Even wolf pajamas and sheets!" Hermione exclaimed at the smiling toddler.

"lide, lide, Erminny, Arry?" Teddy asked Harry and Hermione, remembering they were the ones to take him sledding.

"We can't take you today buddy, but maybe in a few days?"

Ted's face lit up and he nodded enthusiastically.

"This ones a real thrill seeker, aren't ya, buddy?" Harry asked as he tossed Teddy in the air.

"Again! again!" Teddy squealed.

"Well, with his parents, he would be wouldn't he!" Andromeda exclaimed happily as she watched her grandson be tossed up and caught by Harry.

Harry finally caught Ted and cradled him to his shoulder as Teddy snuggled in and yawned, "Again?"

"Hmm, I don't know buddy, how about I read you a story in your room?" Harry asked Teddy as he started to carry to his room.

"Yah."

As Harry took Teddy to put him down for a nap, Hermione and Andromeda started to pick up the detritus covering the sitting room floor.

Andromeda smiled at Hermione and started conversationally, "What do you have planned for the rest of the day?"

"We're headed to my parent's next, Harry's getting to meet nearly the entire family today," Hermione replied with some trepidation.

"You don't think your family will like your beau?"

"No, I'm sure they will like him. I'm just not sure if he will be able to handle all of them. Plus I'm sure they will be all over us about probably everything possible."

"You know, I don't think it will be too bad. Just think on this, I don't think you'll have to worry about being excommunicated from your family for announcing your boyfriend."

"You do have a point there, Andi!" Hermione smiled.

-

Meanwhile at the Burrow, Ginny was opening a box from her mother.

Molly gasped as Ginny pulled out rather small blue-grey sweater, with white wolf patterns interwoven.

"Gin, I seem to have given you Teddy Lupin's gift, oh! He must have yours, I'll just floo Andromeda." And Molly shuffled through the clutter of her large family's Christmas gifts to the fireplace.

-

Hermione drove from Andromeda's place in the country into the suburbs of London to her parent's house.

"You know, it'd be nice if you learned to drive," Hermione yawned.

"But, but you said you didn't want me to hurt your parent's car," Harry replied, passing her a mug of coffee he poured from the thermos at his feet.

"Mm, thank you! I'll talk to Dad and Mum, maybe they'll reconsider and let me teach you to drive or will themselves."

"I could ask Jules or Pat or Nev or Dudder's if you didn't want to."

"Have you actually seen Neville drive, or does he just say he can? Uh, you've been in the car with Pat driving, she's a speed demon, I don't think you want to be taught by her."

"No, no probably not. Maybe I'll just go to driving school."

"The only time its ever annoying you don't drive is these treks like today, otherwise we usually walk or catch the tube or a train."

"Why didn't we catch a train today?"

"Would've been too crazy trying to make it to Andi's, then to Mum and Dad's as well as getting picked up today."

"Right."

"You could start apparating again."

"Perhaps."

Hermione grinned taking another sip of coffee.

"So how many of your relations will be there? Your parent's? Aunt's, Uncle's, cousin's, grandparent's?"

"Oh, Mum, Dad, perhaps a few Aunt's and Uncle's, I don't really know who is coming, I haven't seen too many of them in ages. Since before Hogwarts actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Dad's family is pretty large, Mum's not so much."

"Ah, so perhaps we'll both be meeting your relatives for the first time?"

"Maybe, I know I have vague reminisces of a lot of them, but that's about it. I spent most family gatherings with my head buried in a book."

Harry smiled warmly, "I can imagine that."

"Ha! I'm sure you can, though these days it seems you read more then I do!"

"Its not my fault your buried in tedious texts while I'm just covered in clay." He grinned.

"Ah almost there."

"Good I'm sick of sitting in here!"

"I could tell, jittery much?" She teased as his right leg bounced upon the auto's floor.

"Its all this coffee!"

"Really now, I thought I drank more then you did."

He shrugged, "Well, I am a bit nervous."

"Me too, most of these people last remember me as a ten year old with my head buried in an encyclopedia."

Hermione pulled the vehicle to a stop in front of her parent's house.

-

They got out of the car, getting the bag of gifts for her parent's out of the boot and went up the path to knock on the front door.

Her father answered the door, "Hermione, Harry, how was the drive?" He hugged his daughter and shook Harry's hand.

"It wasn't bad."

"Rather long," Harry answered.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

Mister Granger chuckled, "Well you ready to meet the rest of the family, Harry?"

Harry smiled back at Mister Granger amiably, if knowing the Weasley's and going to Hogwarts and then Uni were good for anything it was preparation for gobs of people, a few of Hermione's relations would be no problem, or Harry at least hoped.

After putting their coats, and shoes into Hermione's old room, Harry and Hermione headed down to meet her family.

"Hermione! Its been awhile, your studying law now I'm told?" her grandfather, a man of about 70 or so with a shock of white hair and an air of learning about him greeted Hermione, Harry followed along, not really sure what he should be doing. Though was very pleased he was not being thrust into the center of attention.

"Grandpa Leo, I am." She replied hugging her grandfather. "This is my boyfriend, Harry."

"Hello," Harry said sticking out his hand to the elderly man.

"Harry, I've heard about you as well, an artist, Mike has told me."

"I work primarily in ceramics."

"Hand building or wheel forms, do you make your own glazes or fire your works in any particular way?"

"A bit of both, I'm just dabbling in glazes right now, learning more about them. I did some raku firing at the end of the term."

"Excellent!" Leo exclaimed. "Hermione, what are you intending to focus on as you pursue your career in law?"

"I haven't decided yet, Grandpa."

"Ah, it certainly is tough to decide when you are so young what will decide what one will do for much of life."

"That it is," Harry chuckled.

Leo gave him an interested look.

"Oh, well, I had a hard time settling in on something particular to study."

"That's an understatement," Hermione laughed, "You had what six changes before you found pottery?"

"Well, yeah, its hard to pick what to focus on when there are just so many interesting things!"

"Cannot fault his logic, Hermione," Leo smiled at the pair. "Good luck with the crowd, Harry, I'm sure they'll give you more of a hassle then I did."

Harry looked back at him nervously.

"Oh relax, you'll do fine," He squeezed Harry's shoulder and walked off to get himself a drink from the kitchen.

Harry and Hermione wandered further into the room, being stopped by her cousin Donny, who was becoming quite the chemist.

"Your going into law, Hermione, don't you want to do something exciting, that will really help people?"

"I also like my eyebrows, Donny," She snarked back.

Don guffawed, "Who need 'em," He grinned mirthfully.

"Daddy hardly ever has eyebrows!" exclaimed a young girl who climbed onto Donny's lap.

He laughed, "Well if you met my lab assistant you would know why, the fellow can barely keep hair on his own head!"

"Sounds like Seamus."

"Who're you, fellow?"

"Oh, I'm Harry." Harry shook Donny and the child's hands.

"Hermione's boyfriend, right?"

"He is. Seamus was in our class in secondary school, always was burning the hair off his face, arms whatever with mishaps in chem."

"Ah, wonder if he's related to Joe." Don chuckled.

"Could be."

"So this is Krissy, right?" Hermioen asked about the child.

"Indeed, good memory, I think you last saw her.. well hmm, maybe when she was an infant."

"Hi Krissy, I'm your cousin Hermione and this is Harry."

Harry waved.

"Hi."

-

Later, Harry was sitting in the corner watching the room when a young boy sandy haired boy maybe a bit older then Teddy came up to him and sat down.

"Did ya know your 'air's like a torn bush?"

"Why's that?"

"You got jam 'n fuzzies caught in it."

"Do I now, oh no, where's the jam, will you pull it out," He leaned his head down toward the little boy.

"Sure," and he pulled out the gob of jam. "How'd you get jam in your hair?"

"Oh, must have been my friend Teddy, I was at his house this morning."

"Why'd he put jam in your hair?"

"Oh probably was an accident, he was so excited to open up his gifts barely wanted to finish breakfast before he jumped on me as I was eating my toast, telling me we had to go see his tree."

Jack smiled and laughed before saying, "Oh, I'm Jack."

"Nice to meet you, Jack, I'm Harry." Harry and Jack shook hands.

-

"Looks like Harry's found a friend," Jane Granger told her daughter as she came up next to Hermione and her Aunt Hannah.

"Harry, so that's the one you've been telling me about Jane!"

"Indeed. Looks like a nice fellow, sure is getting along swimmingly with Jackie."

Jack and Harry seemed to be in an animated conversation.

"We were just with his godson, Teddy this morning."  
"Do you spend a lot of time with him then?" asked Aunt Hannah conversationally.

"Whenever we can make the time. More often lately, but unfortunately when school starts again we won't have so much to spare."

"He looks like he's wonderful with children."

"He is." Hannah shared a sly grin with Jane.

-

"So did you enjoy your first time meeting the family Granger?"

"Of course I did, I'm just glad they didn't seem disappointed that I'm a potter while you're a law student."

"Quit shoving yourself down Harry, they all really liked you and Mum and Dad already did, Grandpa Leo certainly approved that will go pretty far, so did Donny and especially Jack."

"Your little cousin Jack is a riot, we should try to get him and Teddy together someday."

And they continued to chat about the nice family gathering on their drive home.

*

AN: I apologize about the delay, I was in a mental rut for about two months where nothing was really accomplished and I've finally in the past month dug my way out of it, headaches lessening and I hope that will continue once this regimen of meds ends. I'm into the last month of school so will be going non-stop there, but fortunately I have been adding notes and ideas bit by bit to my notes so hopefully something will come between nonstop studio hours, work and sleep or lack thereof. This chapter was supposed to be out around December but that rut struck and nothing happened for months.

*Hope you enjoyed the chapter, thank you for reading!


	22. Everyday & Forward thinking coversations

Chapter 22*Everyday life and forward thinking conversations.

One evening after a day of running around, Harry and Hermione lay upon their couch talking about the past.

"You know the story of how I got my Hogwarts letter, right?"

"Yeah, Hagrid got you and all that crazy rubbish with lots of letters and a row boat."

Harry nodded, "How did you get yours?"

"Ah, it came in the post. Mum, Dad and I looked it over, stared at it for quite awhile actually, wondering if it was some type of joke, a scam. Then a few days later, McGonagall showed up at our doorstep, dressed as a normal person of course, I think she may be the best at dressing normally out of any of the non-muggle raised wizards I've ever met. We stared at her like she was crazy but she reassured us. The letter was no joke, that I was a witch and had been accepted to the prestigious Hogwarts School so that I could learn to use my gift. We still spent a fair bit of time gawking at her like she was mad, but she did convince us with a few spells and explaining how it does happen outside of magical families quite often and that this was no joke, in that stern McGonagall way of hers. I wonder what happens when someone from an extremely scientific background gets a Hogwarts letter, their parent's must really freak out! My parents are doctors they were exceptionally skeptical. If I remember right, they made McGonagall come back at least another time, and have lunch with them to really grill her over the coals to ensure it wasn't some big joke put up by one of their colleagues or a relative."

"Oh right, I don't blame them, I mean if the Dursley hadn't been so freak, freak, who knows. What if it was someone of a really scientific background, just immersed in it, how would they really react? Why yes we do know that you're a chemist madam and that you're a physicist sir, but your child is magical."

"Now that just sounds wrong! Rather lecherous, Harry."

"Oh imagine if they're very religious."

"Like that girl who kept trying to convert you in your writing class a couple years ago?"

"Yes, imagine them being told there a witch. Will they start smoking out the ears or passing out from the does not compute nature of their upbringing?"

"This surely makes me glad to be raised very secular."

"Yeah, well I don't think religion and being good to everyone worked with the Dursley's either. Well, Dudley's grown up a lot since we were kids."

"Yeah, he's not terrified of me anymore, it was quite cute at first."

Harry laughed.

"Bowls, bowls, bowls, bowls, bowls" Harry continuously mumbled to himself as he gathered his things for the day.

Hermione looked up smiling at him from her bowl of cereal and textbook.

"Bowls.. bowls.. bowls," He continued as he picked up his wallet, keys and pens and pencils, erasers and shoved them into his pockets. He picked up his mp3 player and shoved it in his left pocket with his keys and mobile phone, his right pocket contained his wallet and writing utensils. He always carried his wallet in his front pocket after watching a man being pick pocketed one day walking to campus. His wallet was much safer in his front pocket then his back. Some days his things were in the opposite pockets. Those days he usually started patting himself down to make sure he didn't forget something important later.

He grabbed his bag and lugged it over to the door. "Bowls, bowls, bowls…"

"Harry." Hermione called as he put on his coat.

"Bowls, bowls," he stopped his mumbling and looked over to Hermione and saw her mischievously grinning as she looked at him. He smiled and walked over to kiss her good bye. After they finished their kiss, she said, "So you're making bowls today?"

He grinned, "Yeah, hopefully it'll go better then yesterday, I think I made some ruddy wonderful ash trays."

"You'll get the hang of it, the wheel takes loads of practice it sounds like to start making nice work."

"Yeah, it does, love you. Have fun in your seminars eh?"

"Will do, love you too, what time will you be home?"

"Uh.. Hopefully by nine, shit, if I spend that many hours at this, I'll probably go bonkers, hopefully earlier, you?"

"Six probably, not planning on staying late in the library tonight. I've got all these to keep me busy here."

Harry smiled, "Have fun, love you." He headed for the door and grabbed his bag."

"Bye love."

With a wave he exited the flat and locked the door before heading out.

A few weeks later Harry is sitting on the sofa reading a novel when Hermione comes home looking quite frazzled. She drops her bag onto the floor in front of the couch and collapses next to him. "Hi," he greets her over the top of his novel.

She just shakes her head, "Why am I doing this?"

"Your time, huh?"

"Time, time for what?" She replied confused.

"To question your field of study, wonder if its what you should be doing."

"How do you know that?"

Harry chuckled, and pulled her into a half embrace, his novel set aside, "Well, is this only because we're getting to crunch time in the semester or because you really aren't sure law is for you?"

"I," She looked at him confused, "I'm really not sure.

"Hmm, well you know how you always said I had a people saving thing?"

"Yes." She looked at him wondering where he was going with this.

"You've always had a people helping thing. From ensuring Ron and I didn't fail out, to trying to help the house elves to making sure I don't go crazy, to helping Neville get over his ex, to just always being there for me and our friends."

"I am doing this because I'd like to help people, that this will give me something to fall back on in terms of if I fail out in what I'd like to do to bring change to the wizarding world, through drafting legislation, or fighting cases for equal rights for muggle borns and half bloods and other creatures and all the minorities."

"See, you do want to help people, I really think you could build a coalition in the wizarding world to draft such legislation, whether you go into politics or work behind the scenes via taking cases, but they are so far behind the muggle world in equal rights, will you burn out further in the fight to attempt to bring about change? Will you become disillusioned if the pureblood minority block you every step of the way or will that just encourage you to keep going forward? That will not be easy. Whatever path you decide to take I will be behind you every step of the way, I hope you always know that."

"Oh, I do love, and you know I'll be behind you. You're coming with me when I go back, aren't you?"

"You know that. It won't be ideal, I like the anonymous life we've been leading, going back full time we won't have that anymore, but its worth it if you can help change our world."

"I know you haven't been following wizarding politics, but perhaps sooner than later things can change, especially with the purebloods not having so much power after the war. There primary function lately is to bitch and complain and others have joined the progressive faction that wants to bring about equal rights for all magical beings. Neville, Luna and I have been having some very interesting conversations lately when we've met for lunch lately."

"I know most of that, Nev and Luna tell me quite a bit as well, and I do read the Prophet or Quibbler when you leave it in the loo."

"And here I thought you were still at all stop concerning that world."

"Nah, I still need to know what's happening even if I'm not living in it, especially since it won't be too long before we go back and rejoin it."

"Politically it would be better for us to totally immerse ourselves back into magic, but privately it would be nice to maintain some anonymity."

"What if we did both? Live in a mixed neighborhood and you open up an office in Diagon Alley after graduation?"

"I'll need to take the wizarding law offerings soon, we may not have much of a summer if I start doing that for the next couple of years."

"I don't mind, I'll just take summer classes too."

"The better schools are on the mainland."

"So what, there are art schools there too, love."

"Perhaps you should take some of those magical classes Fluer was talking about."

"That's not a bad idea. Start to get my name out there?"

"Ha ha, I don't think Art by Harry Potter is going to have any trouble selling in the magical world."

"True. So if you end up not wanting to continue into law, what then?"

"Oh, maybe back to research and runes work."  
"Not enough research with the law?" Harry laughed, knowing that there is lot, as evidenced by her overflowing desk and their kitchen table.

"Hardy har har, different types of research, Harry."

"I know that," He grinned and kissed her, effectively ending their conversation. Both taking a well deserved break in each other before getting back to the hectic aspects of life.

AN: Thanks for reading (and reviewing).

*I have one final to go (a critique), I wrote the Harry bit after days of studio time printing and sculpting. My being a news junkie inspired the wizarding politics, essentially the full stop the U.S. Congress seems to be to get anything done lately.


	23. In Between Times

Chapter 23-In Between time

Harry came home after his last final and mixed a drink to celebrate the end of another action packed, studio time filled term. A Manhattan, a nice strongly alcoholic drink, Luna had introduced to them. A drink that is also a great way to only have a couple drinks but still get a bit tipsy and not spend an arm and a leg in the process of getting drunk or boogying the night away. A drink to drink one to relax a bit and loose the inhibitions that made him too awkward to dance, without getting shitfaced. Luna's father had introduced his daughter to them as he had been drinking them and then after returning home mixing them himself since his first taste of one during a trip to Manhattan scouting for some creature or other. A Venom, whatever that is. Harry later was told all about it, oddly enough by Jules. Jules never struck Harry as one to be into frivolous things like television shows, but apparently he had a soft spot for cartoons.

Jules, hearing Luna talking about Venom jumped right in and started talking about the Spiderman cartoons he watched as a child, Venom being one of the many reoccurring villains. Xeno Lovegood of course, being a pureblood had no idea about the true nature of non-magical comic books or cartoons.

Hermione came in and set down her for once nearly empty bag, "Pour me one of those too?"

"Sure will," and Harry went about mixing another drink.

"To think, we have two weeks till we start this all over again!"

"Eh, we'll survive," Harry said as he stirred the liquor, vermouth, bitters and ice, before draining the mixture sans ice into a glass and handing it over to her.

"Mmm," Hermione said taking a drink, "What're you doing there?"

"Oh, just doodling. Should I be starting to paint?"

"If you like," She shrugged.

"I probably should, that seems to be what I'll be doing for my one class. The other is just the history of magical art."

"Hopefully the professor is more interesting then Binns or you won't be getting too far."

"Hardy har har. From what I've heard these are brilliant professors, some of the best in the world. Sure I'll be listening to them primarily via translation spell, but damn, should still be amazing."

"Now if only you'd had that attitude with Binns."

"Are you bloody mad, not even you had that opinion of Binns, still have no idea how you didn't sleep through or do other homework during all of his lectures."

"I just have better concentration then you and how do you really know if you slept through them?"

"Urgh, you! I wouldn't last a few days in your law lectures, would just start drooling and staring."

Hermione laughed as he acted it out. "I doubt that, your much more studious then you let on."

"I suppose," He shrugged. "I did enjoy my art history courses. I wonder how different these will be."

"Nothing Ron could handle."

"I wonder how my scores would've been at Hogwarts without his negative influence."

"Who knows, see you should've listened to me and got to work as soon as classes were out rather then waiting till nearly the last moment."

"Hey, I didn't always do that!" He laughed, "Geez, I was terrible back then. What're we going to do for our two weeks before moving to the Netherlands?"

"Teach you how to ride a bike and visit Teddy and our friends?"

"Why do I need to learn how to ride a bike, I mean I've made it this far."

"That's one of the main forms of transportation, Harry."

"Right, I read that. Can't I just ride the public transit?"

"Well, I figure it would be good for you to learn even if you don't use the skill."

"True, would be damn funny to try to teach our kids how to ride without knowing how to myself."

Silence reigned in the flat, until Harry broke it, "Did I just say that out loud?"

"Well, I heard you." She replied directly.

"Would, would you be okay if that was in our future, together, if.. Its only an if, your free to drop me at any time."

"Harry," She smiled, drawing his attention to her face rather then staring down into the bottom of his glass. "I'm in this for the long haul, to stand by you as you stand by me, for as long as we can stand each other." And she walked around the table to embrace him from behind around his chair, "I love you and hope we can weather through whatever our futures hold."

He let out a breath, "I love you too, I think I knew all this, just.. Just am never too sure don't want to assume things you don't want."

"Well, don't be afraid to ask, and I'll try not to be afraid to ask in return, deal?"

"Yes," He grinned brilliantly, pulling her down onto his lap and kissing her.

A few minutes later, still sitting there peacefully together, "Any plans for dinner?"

"Oh, I picked up a few things on my way home, how about curry?"

"You're making it, Harry?"

"Yeah, we both love it, figured it'd be time to try to make it myself."

"Splendid idea, want me to chop anything up?"

He smiled, "Sure, lets see if we can make a good meal out of this."

*Venom, a character from Spiderman.

-fudged the bit about Jules watching Spiderman as a kid, I did but no idea if it ran overseas or not. Never got too into comics.. webcomics on the other hand as an adult, I have.

So I wrote the beginning of this chapter weeks ago, thinking about Manhattans as my semester was wrapping up, I bought all the ingredients and have yet to make one, perhaps today.

*If there are mistakes, let me know, I haven't slept as of yet, headache triggered insomnia.

Questions? Comments? Like why are they going to the Netherlands?


	24. Burrow, Ron's and Off

Chapter Twenty-Four- Burrow, Ron's and off.

Harry soon realized after spending several days in the company of innumerable Weasley's that he preferred toddlers and Teddy especially to many of these unruly urchins underfoot. Where Teddy would at the very least attempt to make you understand what he wanted, some of the Weasley grandchildren would just scream there head off for no apparent reason for seeming hours on end. Harry and Hermione were especially glad they did not have to be with them at the Burrow at all times, having Ron and Lucy's to return to. Pompous as usual Percy certainly had the most difficult children. Surprisingly if you listened to all of Ginny's moaning prior to Bill and Fleur's wedding you would think that their children would be intolerable, but they were the most well mannered, reasonable of all of the Weasley grandchildren. Sure they occasionally cried and got upset over something or other, but they were easily consoled with reason. They seemed to surely inherit Bill's coolness and Fleur's unflappable nature as opposed to the chaos of her in laws. Plus they did not constantly go up and hit or kick their siblings or cousins as Percy's brood did. Molly fondly looked out at her grandchildren telling all how much they were like this or that of her children… It seemed for all of his posturing about being good and proper in everything, Percy got his revenge in children ala Fred and George, improper, crude, rude, Poor Percy and his wife Audrey no matter what they tried the kids just seemed to do the opposite of anything they wished.

"Oh you didn't see Perse when he was three feet high, going over and shoving little Freddie and little Georgie over, he's getting his comeuppance now, sure Harry you only remember good and proper Percy, you didn't see him before he entered Hogwarts.. If you want my opinion he was so afraid of McGonagall he shaped up quick," Charlie told Harry. "I wonder if her hair would've been snow white if he hadn't with the way he was and then Fred and George two years later, guess she lucked out there."

Harry just stared at Charlie as if he had grown a second head, thinking, 'Percy a wild child?'

Bill came up laughing and clapped Harry on the shoulder, "He's not kidding, Percy was insane, then he turned eleven and went to Hogwarts and it was like night and day, he calmed down, rather became like a mouse, not much seen or heard except when quoting the rules or ministry reports on cauldron bottoms. Before that he may've been semi-quiet in comparison to the twins, but his wake of destruction was about on par with theirs."

"Seriously? You're pulling my leg, have to be, the both of you are trying to join George in a prank on Harry! Ha, ha, ha."

"He's not kidding, mate," Ron came over, George backing him up nodding solemnly.

"Okay, the ruse is up, tell me it was all a big joke like we all know it was."

"No joke, Harry," Arthur came up, "I kept it to myself, but was rather terrified of the notes we'd received when we sent Percy off to Hogwarts, then he ended up being rather exemplary which was certainly a surprise. Now George here and Freddie, we knew all along they would be pranking the whole school as soon as they figured any way to not get immediately caught," Arthur laughed, "They were always pranksters, had to think up ever cleverer schemes to get one past Percy teasing and tricking them."

Harry just stared at them all in shock, his view of Percy blown. "Any idea what changed? Since the Percy I know seems to have to deign to crack any sort of joke."

The brother's shrugged, "He grew up."

Then George added, "Something I hope to never do fully. I hope to always have a some of the care-freeness of youth."

"I'm glad you still have it, Georgie and that Harry's having some of it these days… I'm glad my boys here are happy and having good lives."

"Hermione, why have you let Harry grow his hair so long?" Molly cried.

"We both like it that way." Hermione smiled.

"It's not as long as mine!" Bill exclaimed proudly.

"Bill you should really set an example for your children and let me trim your hair."

"No, Mum, leave my hair be."

After several more hours at the Burrow, Harry and Hermione finally escaped and drove to the other side of town to Ron and Lucy's.

"Living in such a small space how did you avoid the awkwardness of your burgeoning attraction?

"Haha!" Harry laughed blushing, "It was rather hard."

"Our flat was tiny. I suppose we could've gotten twin beds and a bunk bed but we didn't think of that. At first we pretty much stuck to our sides of the bed, gradually got closer and then apart again once, I think we both realized we had feelings for the another."

"Pretty much, took us a while to finally just do something about it."

"Did you ever wonder if it was just because you were in such close quarters?"

"We did," Hermione answered, "We even attempted to go on dates to see if that was the case. They were disasters, no one knew me like Harry and me, him and our mutual attraction, that really killed our dates."

"What do you think, Harry?"

"We tried a few, they were disasters, sure they were nice, but eh, not who I really wanted to be with." Harry shrugged.

"Oh did you three ever discuss names for your children?" Lucy asked Harry and Hermione.

"Uh, names, children, not for another five years!" Harry exclaimed panicked as Hermione yelled, "School, school first!"

"There not having children anytime soon, love," Ron replied the only of the three not panicking.

"Well, I figured that, so that's a no then! Ron wants to name our children horrifyingly bad names, I mean, honestly Hugo? What are we having a hunchback! And Rose, your not Doctor Who!"

"Who's Doctor Who?" Ron asked confused.

Harry and Hermione just shook their head's snickering.

"The Television, Ronald! Remember the box we watched at my parent's. Those things in your Dad's shed that he took apart, no, no too many things to differentiate there."

"Uh, the talking box with people and things inside right!" Ron exclaimed.

"Yes, I suppose that fits." Lucy nodded.

"I love that you panic over names before children, Harry," Hermione pointed out smiling slyly at him.

"Oh gosh! Bloody hell, we talked about this, well the children thing, if we're having a child then we'll come up with names. Uh, what brought this on?" Harry asked Ron and Lucy.

"Oh, we're having a baby!" Ron exclaimed grinning.

"We're not naming it Perdita or Dick either, Ron."

"Fair enough there's already a Percy in the family."

"I'd say Willy's out too eh," Harry snorted.

"Bill's name is William, Harry," Ron replied solemnly before getting the joke and laughing.

"So any serious names your considering?" Hermione asked.

"Not Sirius, we get first dibs on that one!"

"Harry, honestly Sirius Potter or Granger or Granger-Potter or Potter-Granger doesn't sound the best."

"I know, I know."

"We weren't going to swipe that one, Harry, don't worry. I doubt anyone could live up to that name either."

"Don't be a snooty old pureblood and name your kid something like Nymphadora either, I don't think Teddy would like it and Tonks would be rolling in her grave."

"If he comes up with anything wretched its getting shot down, already has probably."

Ron just grinned, "Fortunately we both have veto powers so no Superior Weasley either."

"Gawds is that another penus joke?"

"No, it's a lake somewhere near her homeland."

"So your shooting down Hudson too."

"Yes and Saskatoon, what's a Saskatoon?"

Lucy snorted, "A city in Saskatchewan."

"Not that either, would be too confusing."

"What about something like Wesley Wayne Weasley?" Hermione asked before being consumed by laughter.

"Ah, alliteration!" Harry exclaimed.

"I bet George would use a three Double U kid as a marketing ploy."

"Wesley Weasley are you bloody mad, Bill got stuck with William Weasley, I'm not doing that to my kid!"

"What time is it?" Hermione yawned.

"Oh, quarter to one." Lucy replied.

"Bloody hell, if we're facing the whole lot again in the morning we all best be off to bed, good night Harry, good night Hermione."

"Wow!" Hermione exclaimed reading a letter at the kitchen table, "Unbelievable," she shook her head.

"What?" Harry asked looking up from signing a check for the utilities.

"Do you know where the entrance to the magical section in Amsterdam is?"

"Uh, no why would I? Did we get letters?"

"We did. In the Red Light District."

"Okay." He nodded signing another check.

"You know what the Red Light District is right?"

"No, should I? What something did I miss?"

"Prostitution is legal in Amsterdam."

"Okay."

"The Red Light District is the main section where the prostitutes sit in their windows and lure in customers."

"That's nice," Harry nods signing another bill.

"I'll talk to you later." Hermione walked off shaking her head.

Harry nodded, reading and continuing to go through the bills, paying up and writing notes to shut off and start up things for their time away.

The Headline for the _Daily Prophet_ read:

"**Harry Potter attends Post-Secondary School in Magical Continental Europe" **just as they left, apparently someone leaked or actually did research came up with a scoop. A

Charles Christopher Cornelius Crumbum III wrote this in the main British Magical Daily:

_It has come to our attention here at the Daily Prophet that our savior living in the muggle world has enrolled in University on the mainland. We here do not know where he is going; only that he is studying magical methodologies of sculpture and other fine arts. We have obtained through a muggle freedom of information act that a Harry J. Potter matching the birthdate of our Chosen One is a major in the Fine Arts concentrating in Ceramics and Sculpture at a muggle institution. Also of possible interest to our readers, Hermione J. Granger, his best friend since Hogwarts is also enrolled in a muggle post secondary educational institution. Has our savior and his great friend abandoned us to the muggles after all that they did to save us? Or are they just taking a respite from the onslaught of well-wishers trying to suffocate them after the defeat of You-Know-Who? If either is the case and they want to live a simple life, or gain further knowledge in fields that they were interested in as they went through Hogwarts, I for one sincerely wish them the best and hope that eventually they return and accept there place in what is most surely there world as well as yours and mine. Mister Potter's Friend, the Auror Neville A. F. Longbottom had no comment on either Mister Potter or Miss Granger's whereabouts at this time and asks that we all respect there privacy as they pursue there studies. _

*Dick jokes inspired by Monty Python and the Meaning of Life

If I screwed up Doctor Who's friend's name, whoops, I've only seen one episode and bits and pieces before Battlestar Galactica, so forgive me.

Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	25. Betting on Babies

*OOPS! So How about this, Bill and Fleur have Victorie *three, nearly four, maybe another one by now, its been about four years since the end of the seventh book, so Percy's has twins amidst the terrible twos.

Add'l. Author's note: School started a week ago, I have a hectic schedule, so will update when possible and inspired, thank you for reading and reviewing.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Betting on babies.

The Sunday of the first full week of June, Harry and Hermione arrived in Amsterdam by train. A fellow from the University met them at the station and took them to their apartment. There home for the summer is a studio apartment containing a bed, table and chairs and a private bathroom, very basic but containing the bare essentials. Classes would start the next morning.

Maarten said that there's a place for groceries around the corner, right?"

"That's what he said," Harry answered.

"I sure wish we had babel fish!"

"It would make things easier wouldn't it?"

"Why didn't Hogwarts offer foreign languages? I mean Latin is fine but it is a dead language."

"Sure doesn't help when we go abroad, but you do know some French don't you, with your holidays as a child?"

"I know a bit, though I am not an expert in the language."

"At least we have a crash course in Dutch to start with."

Hermione nodded, "I can't wait for class tomorrow. It's going to be wonderful to get an entirely different perspective."

"I'm looking forward to the museums, Rembrandts up close!"

"That class sounds brilliant, you know you're going to have to guide me through the museums after, right."

"Of course and I can't wait!"

The next evening:

Harry and Hermione sat together eating supper talking about there first day of classes beyond their shared Dutch course.

"I'm thinking eight weeks of half a day classes, some full day sessions is going to be so much more intense then a normal semester and yet, I am really looking forward to this!"

"I know I'm not sure how I will research for this paper, yet also sleep and attend class sessions, eat and see you. I am relieved that we were already given a list of topics for our essay."

"You know what you're going to do then," Harry grinned before taking a bite of his sandwich.

Hermione grinned back at him, "Of course I do, a compare contrast essay of the seventeenth century Dutch and British laws concerning treatment of magical and non-magical peoples. But first I have to read a few chapters and write an essay about the conduct of barristers in Holland and Britain in the nineteenth century."

"Sounds wonderful, love," Harry replied frowning, before smirking, "I don't think you'll have trouble sleeping with that topic."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, love."

"I'm sure it'll be a splendid, enlightening essay. Much more interesting then it sounds as a topic."

"Hey, if you saw what the rest of the class was assigned you may just keel over."

"And now your insulting my intellect, oh gee thanks a lot, we can't all go into law, then again maybe just the kooks go into the law."

"Hey, I am no kook! I just like to learn and it seems to me having a good background in law will help in my quest for equal protection for everyone in the magical world."

"I know love and I support that, I never want things going back to the polarizing pureblood versus everyone else. Hmm, it seems that they may finally be moving past that, yet one never knows until they really study the new laws coming into play. At the very least Umbitch's slanderous laws concerning magical creatures are off the books."

"If things seem like they are going backwards, I'll just fight harder and harder and bring up lawsuits, defend the downtrodden!"

Harry smiled, "And I'll support you."

Hermione and Harry's first week of classes went well, they could now at least greet the shopkeepers and people out in the world at least in a semblance of a proper greeting. Harry and Hermione also visited the Rijksmuseum to see the Pre-Rembrandt work that Harry covered in his class that week.

We covered one fellow from the sixteen hundreds who was a printmaker and painter who did fantasy landscapes, part what he saw around him and part his imagination, some pretty awesome stuff!"

"Who?"

"Hercules Segers. Rembrandt bought a bunch of his plates and altered some of them and printed his own stuff off of them."

…

"Wow, did you know Britain had been backwards in its treatment of other creatures compared to the rest of Europe in the twentieth century? No wonder until recently so many people who want to work with them go abroad."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it wasn't until the last few years Post-Voldemort that we've started to have some progress."

"Is that why Charlie's moved back?"

"Probably, he can have his career and be near his family now."

"Makes sense, he's visited much more often Ron says since the war's end."

"That's girlfriend of his probably helps as well."

"Couldn't hurt," grinned Harry grinned.

"Any bets on when Ginny will pop, love?"

"She's not due for another what two or three weeks, what're you and your bro's saying on the odds?"

"Well Dad's saying any day now, apparently he was good at predicting our births."

"The man had seven kids, bet he was."

"George says next Friday. Charlie the Friday after that, Bill next Wednesday, Perce says he won't join in on our foolish games and I say two weeks from Tuesday."

"What does your Dad say?"

"Thursday this coming week."

"Think he'll be right?"

"Who knows, I sure don't."

"Are they going to bet on our child too?"

"They will dear."

"Are they already?"

"Of course, boy, girl, multiples, whether we'll find out the sex, etcetera, etcetera, anything they can think of."

"Percy thinks we're having a girl. George says a hermaphrodite, though I'm pretty sure he's just trying to yank my chain. Charlie, Bill Ginny and Dad say a boy. George also says its going to have green hair."

"If it wants to dye its hair green at some point perhaps it will." Lucy laughed.

"Hmm, next they'll be taking bets on Hogwart's house."

"Aren't all Weasley's in Gryffindor?"

"So far," Ron grinned, "As long as our baby is no Slytherin all will be right in the world."

*It's Ron, I think he's pretty damn set in his Gryfindor ways.

-Babel fish act as translators in _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_. Arthur Dent has one in his ear.

*I imagine Hermione's parents to be middle-upper middle class (dentists after all) who worked there way up to that through hard work and education, had to earn it not have it handed to them. Hermione values education and hard work, which I think her parent's instilled in her. And she's not afraid to fight for something that seems entirely unlikely (S.P.E.W. after all).

*Why the Netherlands? I was reading John Irving's "A Widow for One Year," when I was working on planning the summer, Amsterdam is in the novel a bit. I recommend it; it's up there with "The World According to Garp," as one of his best to me. I've recently finished my seventh Irving novel since June.

*My sources on Segers are the Rijksmuseum and a book I have.


	26. June, July 2001

AN: Hopefully this second update in a month will keep you happy.

*If you missed 25, perhaps you have the lack of chapter alerts I had too, in your alerts section (I think) there is a suggestion to fix that.

Chapter Twenty-Six: June, July.

"Harry, I just got an email from Luna. Ginny and Dennis' baby's been born!"

"Fantastic, what is it?"

"Luna says it's a boy, with a fuzz of reddish blond hair atop his mostly bald head."

"Uh oh, going bald like his grandfather already!" Harry laughed.

"Don't wish that on the baby, Harry! He sure does have a whopper of a name."

"What's that?"

"Bradley Colin Arthur Creevey."

"Whoa, your right, I suppose she's beat out her brother's in naming a kid after Arthur now too, or will George beat em all with an Arturo or something."

"Bradley's seven pounds ten ounces and seventeen inches long." She replied ignoring his comment about the ongoing Weasley baby wars. With six siblings would you expect any less?

"Oh, when was he born?"

"Thursday, yesterday, the fourteenth. June fourteenth 2001."

"Well, good for them, we got them a gift right? When are Ron and Lucy due again?"

"We did, a couple of nice sleepers, those ones that are open at the bottom so they don't have to be taken off to take off a diaper."

"Oh nice, those were great for Teddy."

"Remember that's why we got them for them."

"Right, sorry, just too busy immersed in art," Harry grinned rakishly.

"I think Lucy's due in January or December, one of the two, so we don't have to worry for a bit."

"Oh good! Are you done with your work for the night yet?"

"Yes, why Harry?" She smiled coyly.

"Ready to go to bed? Remember its Saturday tomorrow, we get to sleep in a bit." And they raced to beat the other to bed, shedding clothing on the way.

"Oh, my baby has a baby now!" Molly Weasley gushed as she held her newest grandson, Bradley.

"Will the baby girl Weasley have any girls?" George asked jokingly, "Oh, Gin, you were the first in generations and now you have a boy! After your older brother's have girls!"

"Hey, we have boys too!"

"What about you Georgie boy, when are you having one?"

"Mum, there will be awhile of me enjoying my bachelor days for some time yet."

"I don't know about that George, I've seen some women poking around, what about Angelina you seem to certainly be seeing a lot of her lately," Charlie grinned at his younger brother.

"We're taking it slow, okay?" He left the question hanging. His family fortunately respected it enough to not pry into the matter further, instead doing, as they ought owwing and awing over little baby Bradley Colin Arthur.

"Why the long name?" Bill asked Ginny and Dennis.

"Well," Dennis began before pausing, "We wanted to name him after Arthur."

"And Colin," Ginny added.

"So we decided on the multiple middle names, no one should have to live up to someone else, that's why neither are his first name, Bradley deserves his own to live up to and decide upon his own path in life."

"That's an excellent way to pay tribute, thank you," Arthur told his daughter and son in law.

"Are you planning any more?" Molly inquired, not sneaking her intentions on her children to give her more grandchildren to fuss over at all.

"We want to see how we handle Bradley first," Dennis diplomatically replied to his mother in law.

"What about you, Ron, Lucy, any names for your impending little one yet?"

"Well, I've said no to Wayne and Mario and Gordon, Maurice is on the maybe list." Ron answered.

"And I'd said no to Mary and Ruth and Sally and Ann and oh, what was that other one, dear?"

"Vera?"

"No, I like Vera. Hmm, right Margarita and Margerie."

"Yikes, your baby is not an alcoholic beverage, Ron," George scolded his brother, before cracking a smile, "I think I need to come up with a joke that only gives people horrific names for children!"

Back in Amsterdam:

A week or two later, Harry and Hermione are relaxing in their flat as Harry tells her about some of what he covered in classes that day.

"Did you know that Rembrandts style varied so often that lots of times no one is even sure if it is his work or that of his pupils?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, there's been a study going on for a while now trying to determine what's Rembrandt and what isn't. His pupils often copied his paintings, confusing things further. Not a bad way to learn, copying the masters!"

"No I suppose not, is there any way they can really tell who did what?"

"Well, by determining brush strokes, but Rembrandt had so many varying styles and switched it up so many times over the years who knows, plus he signed so very few of what he did."

"So it's all very difficult and the x-ray technology and such may damage the art work?"

"I don't really know, I assume so, remember that obscure guy I was excited by the first week, Hercules Segers? One of the prints that were labeled as a Rembrandt was really his, they found out recently. It's in Italy or the Americas. It's in my notes, but I can't remember everything, they fire so much at us in only a few hours of lecture."

"I know! Hmm, at least this paper is going well."

"Good, finally!" He exclaimed as she frowned at him. "What, I'm glad you won't be so fussy about it now."

"Honestly, Harry!"

He smiled sweetly at her, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Most definitely," and she let out a long puff of breath, blowing stray hairs upwards from her forehead.

July, "Hmm, I think I'm going to have to brush up on my charms work if I want to get very far in the wizarding art world with all the enchanting for the materials and glazes and paints depending on what's being worked on."

"Oh yeah? Are you planning anything?"

"I have a few ideas."

"Like what?"

"Remember that statue in the ministry?"

"Yeah, that shiny snobbish bit of wizards are better then the rest propaganda?"

"Yep, that one, the British ministry is calling for designs for a new work to be put in their atrium, it's a British Isles wide competition. I'm thinking of entering, with a pseudonym of course."

"Let me guess, James Evans? Oh, Evan James? Harry Jamison?"

Harry sneakily grinned, "How about Severus Jamison, oh oh, Albus Evans!"

"Oh bloody hell, those are even worse!"

"I wasn't serious, Hermione."

"So Sirius Evan Blackwell then?"

"Nah, I'd have to chose something inconspicuous, hmm, how about P.J. Harrison?"

"Your initials in reverse, nice touch, may work."

"I want the competition to be fair, I don't want them knowing I'm the designer, since being Harry Potter they'd probably pick it whether it was the best one or the worst, no matter what."

"Why did they wait so long to decide to build a new statue, I mean the wars been over for.. Four years now. Oh, are they planning this competition to unveil the new display on the fifth anniversary or near it?"

"That seems to be their plan."

"What are you thinking of creating?"

"Well, it needs to symbolize our entire world, not glorify any particular people. Perhaps just representations could be literally or abstractly, a lot of bits and pieces of an idea are coming into mind now, just nothing coming together yet."

"When is the deadline?"

"September first. They want mock ups, small to scale versions of the artists idea."

"Are there any ideas your leaning towards?"

"Something abstract, with a representation that looking at it you would sense human, goblin, etcetera. I was thinking a pillar of white marble like at Gringotts, a couple of stones from the towers that fell at Hogwarts. I'm not sure what would represent House Elves beyond Dobby's love of socks. But also there's that wall in the American capital listing the names of all the dead from one of their wars, perhaps a series of columns listing the names of our dead surrounding a reflecting pool and some greenery, a tree, some flowers, grass, to commemorate the dead but also a place to reflect on how we've gotten to this point of peace and how we shouldn't forget those we lost but try to ensure nothing like the last war happens again."

"That sounds like a brilliant idea, Harry, you should definitely get working on that one, I think our friends and family who we have left would surely support your idea, better then some gloating crap I'm sure others are thinking up."

"I'm going to start mocking it up now, determine what I will need, if this would be too big to transport, hmm, I suppose I could floo it to Ron's."

"Harry, you're a wizard, you could shrink it down and bring it with us."

"Oh, right," he grinned and started sketching.

Harry drew and wrote notes in his sketch book as July wore on, this is just as he goes through ideas and how it forms his final idea:

'If I incorporate the current pillars in the atrium or the walls, the names of the dead could all be etched on those.

The pond, wading pool will be inset, with stones from Hogwart's fallen towers being its borders and

'surrounded by stone benches that I will ask the goblins to construct being master stone masons.'

"Hmm, do we include the victims of the first war with Voldemort? Are his followers included or just the, what good guys? Would be rather absurd to honor Voldemorts goons so scratch them. Do we include the muggles who died in odd circumstances that are either known or very nearly confirmed as torture or crossfire victims? Would be proper to include them as well. Hmm, how to list them all? Alphabetically? By year? By year and then alphabetically? Or oh, by date of death would work better."

"Hmm, do I start with the Riddle's and Guants? They were Tom's first victims, but that is before his reign of terror, well, I suppose the bureaucrats can figure that out, I just give the design."

"So you have one now then?" Hermione asked interrupting Harry's talking to himself.

"I do," he grinned, "I just have to mock it up and send it in."

A few days later:

"Have you decided on your fictitious name yet?"

"I could get very sly and enter as Harry Granger."

"But wouldn't people surely guess you seeing as I'm a household name and your best friend?"

"But would they really assume you automatically, plenty of other people are named Granger and Harry. Hell, I'm betting there are a few just since my second birthday."

"Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't mind, but would you give yourself away like that too easily?"

"We could always make it official and none of them would know."

She blinked at him. "Wait, wait are you. But."

"I'll wait. No buts."

"I always thought I'd just add your name to mine with a hyphen or not and never thought you'd change your name or add mine. Are you really proposing?"

"Well, why not, we're a modern couple, nothing wrong with taking your name or mine or having both names. Yes."

"Yes!" And she dropped the pen she had been holding aloft as the conversation went on and rushed over to embrace him, carefully avoiding the overfilled coffee table with his atrium design upon it.

"We have to tell Dad and Mum and Ron and Neville, our friends, the Weasley's, Luna, oh!"

"Relax love," and he kissed her, "Your parents and Ron were probably expecting this sometime in the next half decade. I did ask them about it in May. I didn't really expect to propose so soon, but well, spontaneity," He smiled sheepishly at her.

"Oh, no problems, don't worry, you really asked my parents and Ron?"

"I did, was rather terrified too."

"Yeah, Mum and Dad can be quite scary at times."

"Especially to me! Wooo, I'm glad they like me, if they didn't yikes."

"Me too. You really asked Ron, really Ron?"

"He is our best friend, it seemed.. Appropriate."

"Ohhh, did you want to get married soon, or sometime in the distant future?"

"Oh, whenever you want, a large wedding, a small one, an elopement, you name the day and place and I'll be there, well pending some unforeseen horrible event that would be the only way to stop me." Harry declared.

"How about this weekend? We can floo back home, get married Friday and see our friends and then come back Saturday or Sunday."

"Alright." Harry smiled. "Oh right!" Harry raced over to his suitcase, which was in a state of being half packed and half not and pulled out a small box from an inner pouch. "Its nothing ostentatious, but I thought it would be perfect for you."

Hermione opened the box and smiled, a simple engagement ring, a diamond on a silver band.

"Your right, it is perfect, I love you."

"I love you too," and he leaned in hugging and kissing his beloved friend.

AN: Thanks for reading, please drop a line if you wish.

*Rembrandt sources are Wikipedia.

Uh, I didn't plan marriage; it just popped up when I was trying to figure out a nom de plume for Harry.

Yes, I am borrowing from the Vietnam Memorial in this idea, but this is different and damn walking through that, it's just .. well it makes one stop and think of the sad waste war is, all the lives lost… and I was only eight when I saw it.

This even seems like it could be a good ending, yet, that would probably leave too many questions and then I'd think up way too many things to write. The next 1 or 2 chapters are mostly refined, so will update at least the next few weeks consistently.


	27. Friday and early Saturday

Note: If you missed Chapter 26-June, July you should go back now or you'll be especially confused.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Friday (and early Saturday)

Hermione emailed her parents to ask what they thought of her coming home Friday and getting married. She also emailed Luna to spread the news of their engagement among their close friends without access to electronic mail and to their close non-magical friends. In her writing to Luna she asked that she pass along the notice that the engagement news was not to get out beyond there close friends, yet.

Once Hermione (and Harry) and her parent's settled on when to get married, (her parents actually agreeing to their sudden marriage) and when and where to have a gathering, they decided upon marriage Friday and a party sometime after they returned from their time on the continent. Neville via Luna's prompting and information got an international portkey for Friday morning and a return one for Saturday evening/Sunday morning.

Her parent's were planning an impromptu bash after the wedding at their house and reserving rooms in the area left and right for relatives to come celebrate. Molly and Fleur Weasley offered to bring lots and lots of food, so the Granger's stocked up on drinks, and other party necessities. George Weasley offered to bring some muggle friendly entertainment and jokes as well as suggesting his old friend Lee to be the entertainment, since Lee did not only do Wizarding radio, clubs and events, he disc jockeyed at muggle places too, saying that's where the good music was at.

Friday morning they portkeyed in (in disguise and dressed nicely) and Neville met them and they apparated to the apparation terminal nearest to her parent's where they met them and then went off and got married in a civil ceremony. Hermione wore a nice summer dress white with a blue floral design and Harry slacks and a white shirt. They kept it casual for travelling, but nice enough for the occasion as well. Considering it was less then a week after his proposal, it all went off without a problem, they were just so happy to be there.

Friday Evening

"So what prompted the proposal, Harry?" Mike Granger (Hermione's Father) asked.

"Well, it all started with a joke actually, we were playing at coming up with a pseudonym for this contest I'm entering and I suggested Harry Granger, come on who'd guess that? She said Harry, I'm well known too you know. And I said, there's got to be other Granger's around beyond just you and how many kids were named after me since my second birthday after all… and I stumbled into a proposal. And Hermione accepted and now a few days later we're married!" Harry grinned like an idiot, an extremely happy idiot.

"Harry," Ron said to the beaming Harry, "Can we akin your proposal to Hermione to be like a bunch of our half cocked adventures and your people saving thing, while it is entirely different it shows your stumbling into things without really thinking them through."

"Ron, are you showing some sign of intelligence and reflection on your school years?" George asked him, rather shocked.

"Suppose I am."

"No, Ron, I mean sure it can come off like that, but geez, Hermione and I, we've been together for three years now and friends for half our lives, wow, its been eleven years mate! I.. Love you, Ron." And he hugged his best friend. "And this is so much different, its nothing that I just decided hey I'm going to propose, no, I've been thinking it over for months and months I even asked Mike, Jane and you in May, remember."

"I remember," Ron smiled, "I was rather surprised when you asked me about it!"

"You are our oldest friend Ron."

"I know mate and I know you know I love you both too."

Not too far away from where Harry, Mike and Ron were conversing, "Aw, I've never seen or heard Harry so lovey dovey before, Hermione," Molly Weasley told her, "I'm so happy for the both of you, your like one of my own children. You've given him a chance to be himself, be more then just what people want to see of him due to his fame, he's come into his own since the war's end, he can have feelings and express them so much easier and he's calmer since your relationship began. I'm so very happy for the both of you, finally you get happiness and stability!"

"Thank you, Molly," Hermione replied smiling, hugging the Weasley matriarch.

"Are you planning on children right away or waiting?" Molly inquired in her meddlesome way.

"Oh no, we're going to wait awhile. We're both still in school after all and I have a few more years left after Harry finishes his undergrad degree and he might go for a masters as well or he seems rather intrigued by the," Hermione whispered the next word to Molly, since they are in the presence of non magical folk, "magical forms of art. These summer classes are certainly opening ideas to a lot more options beyond our current schooling."

"Does that mean he'll go abroad? What about you?" Jane who was lurking on the edge of their conversation asked.

"We're both looking all around, whether it be here or abroad. Some of the better programs do seem to be abroad." Hermione answered.

"Your right about that, the bureaucracies and schools abroad didn't get stuck up in the rubbish that ours did," Arthur spoke up, "It's a shame the trash that's held us back, but I think, hope sooner then later that will all change, so far it is coming along slowly, the change will come and we'll at the very least be up to par with the rest of the world."

"If 'ou came back, perhaps 'ou could help begin a renaissance here, help a in the new and emergence of culture and society here," Fleur added.

"That's true, it is certainly something for us to consider. We do, we are thinking of returning, at least to tread in the middle between both of our worlds. We don't want to loose our roots and friends, but we also want to see more and be more involved with the world we became immersed in and met lost and gained so many dear friends in."

Bill Weasley who was standing next to his wife with his arm around her, "Did you know that some of the outer edge neighborhoods near the alleys and main concourses of the mmm world are turning to a more integrated model, a way to have both our conveniences and the things lots of you grew up with as well. The integration of technologies are progressing thousand fold since the end of V and the ministry's changes, we may even soon be able to access the internet anywhere even the alley."

"We'll have to look into that, we were thinking of perchance soon finding a more permanent place to live, Harry's dying to set up a studio where he doesn't have to worry about ruining things for our security deposit." Hermione grinned.

As the night progressed and the party really got started, after the social hour and buffet style dinner, the dancing began and went on and on. The fortunate thing about so many Magicals attending and Neville being an Auror, is he cut some strings with his superiors to be able to ward the whole house and yard against noise, less the neighbors complain and the party has to end early or before it really begins.

They all danced the night away, with Lee spinning everything from club music to ballads, everyone had a blast dancing, singing along, and watching some of their fellow partiers attempt to look cool with some ridiculous dance moves. One of Hermione's uncle's even asked Bill as The Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?" was playing if it was safe for George to do some of the moves he was doing, or at least trying to, rather worried that he was going to break something or his partner with his dancing at breakneck speeds with Angelina, who was sworn to secrecy by George before they came.

"I can't believe the two of you!" Jules exclaimed, dancing with Pat to "Summertime" as done by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. "We certainly didn't expect to get an email and then not two days later being invited to a wedding party!"

"You two were the slowest I've ever seen to get together but the quickest to get married after a proposal beyond those crazy romantic comedy films. Congratulations again, great spontaneity and wow, you must've travelled all night, though I suppose you splurged for the airfare to get here and do this? Didn't want to leave the friend's and family out, so glad you didn't!" Pat let out in a happy rush.

"Thank you both, looking forward to your nuptials in a couple years," Hermione replied grinning madly as Harry twirled her around.

"So are we," They grinned back before getting lost in the dancing masses.

As the night wore on and they danced to Carole King's "You've Got a Friend", Harry asked Hermione, "Have you thought about a honeymoon?"

"We did forget about that didn't we," She grinned.

He nodded laughing.

"Hmm, we do have two weeks between classes, or we could wait till winter or next summer. Anywhere you'd like to go?"

"Mmm, anywhere with you."

"That sure narrows it down," Hermione grinned. "So you'd be fine if we spent all our days in an archive?"

"As long as our nights were in bed," He grinned.

"We'll have to think about it."

"Mmm Hmm," He replied pulling her closer, as George was going by flailing wildly to The Clash's "Career Opportunities", Angelina sitting this one out talking to Luna off to the side. George continued going madly as he pulled Angelina out with him for the next song, Bob Dylan's "I Want You."

Ron and Lucy danced over to them as "One Week" started up.

"This song's title anyways is rather apt for you two this week," Lucy laughed, "I never expected the two of you to take a week to get engaged and married, more spontaneous than I thought Hermione had in her."

Hermione grinned wildly, "Well, I'm glad I could surprise you."

"Oh come on, its Hermione and Harry, anything you didn't expect is bound to happen with those two," Ron put in as his joy for his friend's poured out in waves.

As the clock approached three in the morning, Lee announced, "This is the last one folks, a jazzy tune! And again, Congratulations Harry and Hermione, you deserve all the happiness you can get! Here's Ella Fitzgerald with, "Just You, Just Me." Good night everybody and thanks for coming and dancing your night away!"

AN: Songs picked at random, trying to make things fit with this and that, and I think Lee would pick some out there things in his mix. I probably listened to too many random songs to decide.

Thanks for reading, please drop a line to let me know how this is going and if you have any suggestions, comments.


	28. Changes

AN, context: The following is not trying to capture any of the real events, though mentions some as well as figures from the times, this is just a fictional tale, fictional people, not going into anything too traumatic, just questions, people wondering about what's going on and what's happening next.

-\ If you are uncomfortable with the topic of 09/11/01 you may skip to the section which begins Autumn 2001.

Chapter Twenty Eight: Changes

September 11, 2001

"Did you hear?"

"Have you seen the news?"

"My cousin's in New York, oh are they okay?"

"Can you believe, that, that really happened, no joke, how could that happen?"

"What's going to happen now?"

"What will the Americans do?"

"How will they respond?"

Everywhere they went, everyone was wondering, why? How? How could that happen? What will happen next?

George W. Bush read "My Pet Goat" to a classroom full of elementary students; eventually he did make a statement about what happened as he read.

_The Granger Residence _

"I suppose there's going to be a war now, but will they do it right? Will they go after the ones responsible for this or just end up in another quagmire? At least this time the Americans do have justification, we do too, we lost people too, nearly every nation on the globe did," Mike asked of no one in particular.

"Blair will probably join whatever coalition Bush's strategists are planning." Jane answered.

"Mmm true." Mike nodded.

"So, so tragic all those poor people dead, all the relatives in mourning, those poor people!"

"Now the rest of the world is getting its reign of terror, Harry, Hermione and the rest kept from us, though we haven't been directly effected, others have, they have. We're lucky they spared us the day to day in your face conflict."

"So very lucky." He nodded again.

"I wonder what they think of this.. Will it effect them oh how much worse will it effect them and there fellows who just survived a war so, so recently?"

"And to think, only a few weeks ago we saw so many of their old friends so joyous and full of laughter, will this send them back into their depressions? I mean we missed much of their struggle, we didn't see it first hand, will this new wave, will it prompt flashbacks?"

"I don't know, love."

_Harry and Hermione's_.

Harry, Hermione, Lucy, Ron, Luna and Neville sat huddled in the living room watching their television set.

"Again and again they show it and I can't not shudder as I watch the planes crash and the buildings fall and the debris down, again and again." Hermione said quietly.

"The people too, see, oh, see the bodies falling, " intoned Neville sadly.

"Bloody hell, to, to die that, that way, oh bloody hell!" Ron moaned.

Harry sat with anguish on his face as they watched again and again and listened to the broadcasters reports on the attack. "Remember, Crabbe?"

"To think those planes made fireballs shoot down through the buildings probably consuming everything in its path, such a terrible way to die!" Luna exclaimed.

"Who's Crabbe?" Lucy asked.

"A classmate of ours, bitter enemy actually, he died in the room of requirement during the second battle of hogwarts consumed by fiendfire." Hermione answered softly as Ron sat gritting his teeth.

"Anyone up for a drink?" Harry asked the room.

Everyone muttered some sort of positive response.

Harry brought out five tumblers of Irish whiskey and a mug of tea and gave each their drink, before beginning to somberly speak, "To all of those poor people and their families, may there deaths be great adventures and their families survive to live and breathe another day, mourn and advance to find a brighter day."

And they all clanked their glasses.

Autumn, 2001, Jules, Pat and Hermione are finishing up their final semester of undergraduate study, starting their next program or moving on to jobs or job searches in the winter. Harry, will finish in the spring.

Hermione had sent out numerous law school applications prior to leaving for Amsterdam and Harry and her summer term of study. The responses are now starting to trickle in.

"So anything tempting you?"

"Oh," Hermione smiled, "I wouldn't have applied if they weren't tempting."

Harry laughed, "I know that! Are any of the responses luring you in?"

"A few," she grinned.

"So where are we moving?"

"Well, we may not have to move anywhere."

"Oh?"

"The British Academy of Magical Law, well, they've made an extremely generous offer. A full ride, my choice of advisors, studies abroad even if I choose."

"Wow!"

"I know, they even want me to go to their sister school as well."

"Sister school?"

"Law school without the Magical portion, I was accepted there of course too, to broaden my horizons to see beyond just the often rather narrow viewpoint of the magical world, the letter says."

"So are you going to take it?"

"Maybe, its quite an opportunity, I'm still looking everything over, deciding, reading the fine print."

"And that world doesn't know about our marriage does it?"

"Not unless someone's been peaking into the records department at the ministry, a rather understaffed, under sourced division I'm told."

"Alas the poor archivists."

Hermione smiled, "That's right, you've become enamored of at the very least art archives."

Harry smiled back, "Whatever you choose will be fine by me. We were apart entire summers before, we'll always be a phone call, email or I suppose floo away. I've been thinking, we should look into houses, to at the very least have a home base."

"Have you looked into what you inherited, yet?"

"No, I figured you would," he grinned sheepishly.

"Well it's a good thing I did then, the goblins even sent us a whole packet of stuff after our marriage, they are certainly far more on top of and discreet on things, fortunately for us then the ministry is."

"Oh yeah, good. I know of course the ruins at Godric's Hollow and some ancestral Potter home in Wales somewhere."

"Of course and Grimmauld."

"Right, there, we could've moved there years ago, but our friend's would've wondered why we didn't have an address."

"Too true," she grinned.

"Any area houses or flats?"

"Not beyond Grimmauld and I think that place holds too many memories to move into, at least at this point."

"Me too, so shall we begin a search?"

"Do we want to continue in the city or move out to the country?"

"Well, I do apparate again so it wouldn't matter so much where we live. How about we look till we find a place suited for us?"

"You mean a library for me and a great light filled studio for you, oh and a great field in the back for flying?"

"Mmm, I haven't thought of that in ages. I guess I have my freedom and those brief times in the air don't have to be it for me anymore." Harry answered gladly before continuing, "I do still love it, though its no longer what it used to symbolize."

"I understand, oh do I understand."

"Your love of research helped us and your learning it and getting better and better sure is helping in your advancing to do what you want, right."

"Correct." She smiled.

Thanks for reading.

Note: Important must read note in my profile.


	29. Life Among Frustrations and Joys

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Life Among Frustrations and Joys

December seventh 2001, Ron and Lucy's baby is born, a boy with a shock of reddish brown hair atop his head and the typical blue-gray eyes of a newborn. They named him Malcolm Harry.

Harry was surprised and delighted at his godson's middle name. Hermione was of course named his godmother.

"Will we ever find that house that's perfect for us?" Hermione asked when they got home from yet another viewing of a house.

"I'm starting to lose hope on that too, are you sure there aren't any good residences in my inheritance?"

"Nothing that isn't either too large, or out of the country."

"Wait, there are overseas properties?"  
"Yes, dammit Harry have you still not read your inheritance packet from Gringotts?"

"It slipped my mind between school and the house hunting. Any nice highlights dear?"

She blew hair from in front of her eyes and looked at him, "I found the time and I'm reading ahead for next semester!"

"Hey, hey, I know, but I'm busy too, you know that! You may have more reading but my work takes time, so much studio time."

"You don't have twenty to forty page essays."

"No, I don't thankfully this semester, but I'm working my arse off and running around looking at all these houses at the drop of a hat!"

"Urgh! When's the last time you did the laundry?"

"Oh … When's the last time you did dishes?"

"You don't remember, bloody hell, why, I did them last week!"

"And I did them this morning."

"Thanks for doing the dishes, Harry," She replied snidely.  
"Well thanks for doing the bleeding laundry." He shot back, turning around and pacing towards the kitchen at the opposite side of the room from the living area and yelling, "Why are we shouting about this, we both know we have so little time together during crunch time! Why get mad over something as so fucking insignificant as the fucking chores?"

"Urr, I'm tired!"

"Dammit, did you quit sleeping again when I'm at the studio all night?"

"I haven't not been sleeping, I've been studying!" She exclaimed as he walked towards her.

"How's the paper coming along?" He asked quietly, going closer to her, where she stood by the coffee table.

"Which one?"

"All of them."

"They're coming."

"Good. I'm on the shortlist for the ministry's atrium design, just got the letter forwarded from Neville today."

"You are! Oh love that's wonderful! When will you find out?"

"Before Christmas." She hugged him, "Oh, will things be tougher for your cover if you win?"

Harry chuckled pulling her close, "When has my comings and goings there not been difficult. I'm going to dye my hair and get contacts or funky glasses for the interview, well if I win."

"Do you know what the other designs are?"

"No, its all a secret, you either get a rejection letter or a shortlist letter.. And eventually I'll either get a reject letter or a you're the designer letter."

"Oh the suspense is going to kill me."

Harry laughed, "Nah, you're buried up to your neck in research and essays remember, you'll forget and not worry about it." She gave him an are you kidding me look. "Okay, perhaps you won't forget, but don't worry about it, its not important or vital to anything for me, you finishing and me passing are what's important."

"I'm sorry for yelling about the stupid laundry."

"Don't worry about and I'm sorry about the dishes. We both know we do what we can when we can, especially this time of the year. Don't mull it over, think over the damn essays."

"Yeah, I know, I won't. Mmm, want to go to sleep?"

"What time is it?"

She looked at her watch over his shoulder, "Only eight, but I'm so tired and," she yawned, "There's so much to do tomorrow."

"Are you feeling okay? You've been pretty tired every time I've seen you this week."

"I have a bit of a cold."

He kissed her forehead, "Hmm, your pretty warm, sure its not the flu or something?"

"I hope not," She yawned again and pulled him towards the bathroom so they could get ready for bed.

Meanwhile, Ron was busy around the house as Lucy and Malcolm took a nap. With a newborn, they were on an erratic schedule. One or the other or both of them were kipping when Malcolm did and at other times getting things done when he was asleep. Ron was awfully happy he and Lucy were both getting leave for Mal's early years. Lucy is going to take his first year and Ron the second. Her contract was rolling over for her year off, though only getting paid her offseason salary in full. Ron rather thought his new son had perfect timing, coming just two weeks before the ministry's holiday recess, when only low levels if anyone would be working. He was happy to have paid his dues and getting a vacation, to be able to spend all of that time rather then just his off hours with his new son. He was looking forward to waking up and calming his son whenever rather then Lucy nearly always being the one to with him working. He kept waking up hours before he had to go into work to walk around the house with or to watch his boy, asleep in his crib, orange bedding of course for the Cannons.

Things were going pretty damn wonderfully for Neville; he just got promoted to Captain and would be leading missions of his very own! And, in his personal life, things were finally starting to look up, Nev's getting serious with a woman he met at Harry and Hermione's wedding, a friend of the Granger family. He was even thinking of telling her the truth about what he did and what he is. He wanted to talk it over with Mike, Jane and Hermione first though, to either, have them help in the initial confession and its after effects or at least with a gentle way to break the news that there was a whole other world out there in secret beyond hers.

At the wedding, they had started talking after he complemented her on her dress, which had flowers on it and made a joke about the dirt under her fingernails.

She, Joyce was working at a greenhouse and studying botany at a local university. From that first commonality, she and Neville spent the rest of the night talking and chatting while dancing about plants, his first passion and hers as well! They exchanged contact info and kept meeting up, a week later, Neville bucked up his Gryffindor courage and asked her to dinner. She accepted and since then they had been meeting up every chance they could between their hectic schedules.

No longer having to follow the muggle train schedules which would mean he could spend more time with her, was one of his main reasons in telling her, plus he really wanted her to know all about him beyond what he could reveal without breaking the secrecy statutes. Plus Neville was pretty damn sure she was the one, the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Sure, it has only been well not yet six months since their first meeting, but they were so compatible! Temperaments meshed, likes and dislikes, political leanings, hell they even shared the same favourite colour, blue. He wanted her to meet his Grandmother.

Happenings of the rest of the Weasley family included even more population growth, Percy's expecting another child. Bill and Fleur are as well, Charlie's still not getting married anytime soon as he tells his mother every time he sees her but.. OH, and, Angelina proposed to George, he accepted! Molly is scandalized that her son didn't do the asking but is already gushing about how happy she is and oh the gorgeous grandchildren she's expecting them to have for her. Arthur is learning how to turn a Windows 95 Computer on (a gift Mike Granger gave him and then explained a bit about to him). Arthur says "It's astonishing" as the blue screen of death appears after he mashed too many or perhaps just the right buttons all at once.

Thanks for reading, next chapter up in December.


	30. Time with Teddy and the Holidays

AN: Someone asked about Kreacher ages ago, if you're still reading the answer is here.

Chapter Thirty: Time with Teddy and the Holidays

Teddy Lupin, four years old, has decided that since his Harry and Hermione have their own house he should spend more time with them and he knew that they weren't always busy during the holidays.

"I've got to sleep at Victories house, Grandma, why don't I go to Harry and Hermione?"

"Hmm, Teddy, we'll have to ask them, how about that?"

"Yes, they come and go and go too fast."

"Okay, how about I email Hermione and ask her about spending more time with you during their time off from school?" Andromeda asked her grandson.

"Yes!"

"Harry, Andie is wondering if we'd like more time with Teddy during the winter hols."

"Most definitely! I feel like we've been neglecting him lately, being gone most of the summer and then so busy. Poor kid must think we're asses."

"Oh, Harry, don't think so bad of us, we've barely had time to see each other let alone anyone else or sleep much at all lately!"

"I know," He shook his head sullenly, before smiling at her, "We'll get to hang out with him and actually see each other during break and then the chaos begins again with you starting law school and me my last semester."

"You hope it's your last semester."

"I got them to count the summer credits, I'm going to graduate!"

"Seriously?"

He grinned, "Yes." She launched herself from the kitchen table tumbling over the back of the couch and onto him as he laughed. "Congrats love," and she kissed him.

"Mmm," he grinned, "Almost done with that last essay then?"

She smiled back at him, "Yes, finally, I feel like I've been writing it for weeks!"

"Uh, you have been writing it for weeks," he replied as his forehead scrunched up at her words.

"I have? I suppose I have. Just a bit more editing and its done, a few essay exams and I'm done till next semester."

"Yes, the ever present grind, I think I have ten more bowls to glaze and I'll be done."

"You've gotten everything done?"

"Nearly."

"Why aren't you there now, finishing those bowls?"

"It's Friday, the studios close early, I'm going to go glaze tomorrow morning, set them by the kiln and will be all set for the term. Well excepting for a bit more studying."

"Hmm, good, when's your last final?"

"Wednesday, you?"

"Thursday mid-afternoon."

"Should we see if we can get Teddy Thursday evening then?"

"Definitely, or you can go nab him earlier if you like."

"Just write back to Andie, let her know, make sure its alright with her?"

"Don't worry, I will. How long do we want him for?"

"Well, we could play it by ear how long he wants to stay or however long Andie's willing to let us have him."

"Should we take him with us to your parents? Would that be alright?"

"Could be fun to let him loose with all the other kids."

"We'd have to convince him to not change his hair color for that time or he'd have to wear a hat or something."

"Oh true, if he started rapidly changing hair there would certainly be a lot of questions," Harry laughed.

"Or, memory charms," Hermione laughed.

"Could you see the headlines, "Harry Potter's Godson causes mass panic at muggle holiday.""

Hermione just shook her head laughing.

Harry picked up Teddy the next Thursday, flooing with him to the nearest open floo, catching the tube, and walking from there. As they went to the flat to drop off Teddy's things, Harry asked Teddy if he wanted to go out to eat or to eat in.

"Can I have pancakes?"

"Sure you can."

"Can I help you mix them?"

"Lets make sure we have the ingredients here, buddy."

"Okay, do you have them?"

"Hmm, we do, did you want blueberries or chocolate chips in your pancakes?"

"Both!"

"Alright!" Harry put all the ingredients into a bowl and after doing a cursorily mix to beat in the eggs, handed the bowl over to Ted, who attacked his mixing job with aplomb.

"Do you want bacon too?"

"Yes!"

Harry started to fry up some bacon as Teddy mixed and mixed. He was really doing a marvelous job beating the lumps out of the batter. Of course he was also at it for a quarter of an hour.

"I think you've beaten that batter, bud, how about I take over, did you want to draw or something."

"Yes, draw!" Harry gathered some drawing materials and set Teddy up at the table with them as he went to cook up the pancake batter.

Dropping in handfuls of blueberries and chocolate chips onto the frying mass of pancake batter as he went.

An hour or so after they finished eating as Harry and Teddy were playing with modeling clay, Hermione got home.

"Herminee!" Teddy exclaimed hugging her legs as she came in the door, "Harry made pancakes, we had blueberries and chocolate!"

"Sounds delicious, were they good?" She asked as she set down her bag and picked up Teddy.

"They were the best!"

"We saved you some, there on the counter, love, should still be fairly warm." Harry said from his seat on the floor, where they had been playing with clay on a drop cloth.

"Thank you. So Teddy, what've you been doing lately?"

"Grandma's teaching me my alphabets and numbers! I can count to thirty now, one, two, three, uh four, five," and he slowly but surely counted to thirty.

"Brilliant!"  
"Fantastic job, buddy!"

"Want me to do the alphabets now?"

"How about later?"

"Okay!"

On Saturday, the twenty-second of December Hermione, Harry and Teddy went to her parent's to celebrate the upcoming Christmas holiday.

Harry quickly introduced Teddy to Jack and they and other Granger children ran off to play.

Harry stood watching Teddy run off, shaking his head, "Your not around masses of kids much are you, they seem to always do that, gather together and dash off to do something exciting."

Harry smiled and stuck out his hand, "I'm Harry, Hermione's husband."

"Her cousin Don, I've met you before! You sure surprised us all, never thought Hermione would ever spontaneously get engaged and married in a week, though you have been together awhile."

"Yeah and were friend's long before that, so we know each other pretty well, "Harry grinned.

"So how have the first few months of married life go?"

"Pretty well, we've been really busy between school and house hunting and Hermione starting law school next month."  
"She sure is brilliant isn't she, always been a real smart kid!"

Harry smiled, "Your whole family seems pretty damn brilliant, you're into the sciences right?"

"Yes, I'm a chemist and I do in fact have eyebrows this year, good thing Kris's run off or she would've told you and everyone else!" Don exclaimed laughing.

"Looks like your nephew Jack's had his own run in with hair problems this year."

"Yeah, the Kindergarten thrills of scissors! You get to use scissors and off go the bangs, snip. Cassie and Marcus weren't really sure what to do, but Jackie refused a further hair cut beyond flattening it out, so he's been having a ball running around with a straight across his forehead cut."

"What is it your studying again, Harry?" cut in a relative Harry was unfamiliar with.

"Art, specifically ceramics and sculpture."

"And what are you going to do with that?" asked another of Hermione's relatives.

"I'm not entirely sure yet, sir. I've applied to a few graduate programs."

"So how are you going to provide for Hermione and your future children, if you have any?"

"I'm not badly off and with Hermione studying law, we shouldn't be too stressed financially. If, when we have children, I will probably stay with them, also I will eventually work primarily from home unless I need to be at a jobsite."

"Do you have any commissions or anything so far?"

"Potentially."

"Nothing specific?"

"Nothing specific that I can say."

"Gerald, relax, leave the young man alone, he and Hermione are happy and are only just starting out in their life together and still deciding how to do whatever they are planning to do," Leo, Hermione's grandfather cut in. "Remember when you just got out of school and were trying to get started?"

"Yes, Uncle Leo."

Across the room, "Hermione, what are your plans now that you've graduated? I've heard talk of you attending law school, is that right." Her Grandmother asked.

"It is I'll actually be starting in January."

"So soon, not taking a break before beginning?"

"No, I'm just going to keep going," she smiled.

"Really, aren't you afraid of burning yourself out?"

"If I feel like that, then I may take fewer classes or take a term off, but at the moment I'm charging forward."

"What about your husband, what is he doing?" inquired her ever wondering Aunt Marta, who fortunately for Harry's nerves had been absent the year before.

"He is finishing up his undergraduate degree and then most likely in the fall beginning graduate school."

"He's the what artist fellow who had a billion switches in career." Marta scoffed.

"He explored a few majors before choosing art and design," Hermione replied brightly, trying not to get annoyed with her Aunt, a housewife, married to a neurosurgeon, looking down on those with careers that are in a lesser pay grade then his.

"Hmm, you'll definitely have to support him unless he somehow gets a big break, slim chance of that with so many "artists" out there."

Hermione just smiled politely.

"No matter with that Marta, Hermione's going to be a lawyer, she'll be able to support him if need be. These two kids will do just fine as long as they're happy together." Her Grandmother Beatrice Granger cut in. "So who is that happy little boy you brought, Hermione?"

"That's Harry's godson, Teddy, we've had him with us for the past half week. We're just glad to have him, unfortunately we hardly ever see him with school. He was pestering his grandmother about it and we relish any chance we get to spend with him." She smiled widely.

"He's being raised by his grandmother, where are his parent's?" butted in Aunt Hannah.

"They're deceased, tragic, I don't want to bring it up where Teddy can hear. He knows all about it but I see no reason to chance at reminding him of such sadness when he's having such a brilliant time."

Mike Granger, nodded at his daughter's words, putting his arm around her and squeezing her shoulder in comfort, to further discourage Hannah. Mike and Jane knew the truth about Remus and Tonks' deaths, but the war was not something easy to bring up in company not privy to the atrocities of the magical world's recent war.

After the festivities, Teddy fell asleep nearly as soon as Hermione started the car. "So question, do we have to name our future child after a Shakespeare character, artist, roman or greek historical figures, or mythological characters, is it somewhere in the Granger family rulebook that that is a must? Kid gets disowned if its not followed?"

"What you didn't want to name our children Rembrandt or Picasso Potter?"

"No! No absolutely not, no, why would you stick a kid with that? I mean some of them are fine, but I feel bad for your Dad, Homer Michelangelo. Did your grandfather loose a bet?"

"Well, hmm, Grandpa may have to Great Uncle Raffy."

"Wait, I'm guessing Raffy is for Raphael and Don is short for Donatello then, not Donald?"

"Your right."

"And Kris is oh gosh, can't think of anything that goes with that."

"Krissy is Kristina, I don't know her middle name."

"Oh, so a normal name.. What's Jack?"

"Well, Jack Isaac."

"So a normal name, it can be done!"

"Middle name is after the Yiddish author, Isaac Bashevis Singer.

"Good one?"

"Extremely entertaining, supposedly supremely funny, brilliant storyteller mostly set in pre-Holocaust Poland or Post-Holocaust New York."

"Good to hear!" Harry laughed. Any time he met any of her relatives and the ever more unusual or mundane names came up he was always interested to find out where it switched to something even more unusual, occasionally like with little Jack, it didn't veer off into high literature or ancient texts.

The following day, they took Teddy to the movies, he didn't watch television, so the few times he was with them and they took him to a film was always very exciting for him, as well as occasional shows on the television at their place. They were especially careful to limit his time in front of the telly, preferring to spend time with him doing different activities rather then just getting sucked into the mindlessness of the television.

The next afternoon, Christmas Eve they flooed back to Andie and Teddy's home and stayed there for the festive morning, the afternoon would include a visit to the Weasley's, the first time they would celebrate with them since their schooldays. Teddy received a huge pile of gifts under the tree from "Santa", Harry, Hermione, Grandma and various family friends. Teddy picked a pair of tye-dyed socks, having been dissuaded from colorful pants and his new "wolfie" sweater from Hermione, blue like his happy hair color with a howling wolf on it, which she knitted herself.

"At least all those hats are coming in handy now," Harry remarked at one point after she had tossed a pair of woolen socks at him, one cold day.

Christmas at the Burrow with six and counting grandchildren, Victorie (3), Molly and Laura (2), Louis (1.5), Bradley (six months) and not yet two week old Malcolm, plus the original children and spouses, Molly and Arthur of course, AND Harry, Hermione, Andromeda and Teddy. Twenty-three people even in the rebuilt Burrow, Be glad most of them are small!

Everyone got the usual "Molly Weasley" sweater in various colors, George, without a G on it no longer having to be differentiated from his lost twin.

"Harry, Hermione, did you hear about the new atrium design? They just announced it a few days ago," Arthur asked them.

"No, what is it?" Harry replied, curious to find out what won.

"Well, the designer plans on etching all of the names of the deceased into the walls and supports of the atrium by date of death if I recall correctly, from the earliest known death via You-Know-Who and his Deatheaters. He also plans on a fountain or pond as well as seating constructed out of some of the fallen stones of Hogwarts, he even wants the goblins help with the stonework! When they asked Minerva about these ideas for the project she readily agreed to let some of the fallen portions that could not be rebuilt be allocated for the project."

"A rather ingenious and tasteful idea if you ask me," Percy put in.

Harry grinned to himself, as he thought of course the contest results didn't get to me yet, with the holidays and my using non-magical mail services.

"I think that's going to be absolutely fantastic!" Hermione exclaimed blissfully, squeezing Harry's hand.

"It really does seem like it's going to be a fantastic memorial to those we lost! I wonder who this Granger fellow is, any relation to you, Hermione?"

"You know I'm a muggleborn, Ron, how could it be a relation of mine?" She smirked, as Harry hid his smiling face in her hair.

"Perhaps some cousin you didn't know about or some thing like that, I figured." Ron muttered in reply, as he was looking down coddling his son, fidgeting in his arms.

Teddy came up behind Harry and Hermione, reached up and tugged on Harry's arm to get his attention. "Harry."

"Yeah, Teddy?" Harry asked squatting down to the four year old.

"Wanna go play outside in the snow? Grandma said we could."

"Lets get you and me dressed for outside then, alright?"

"Yeah!" And Teddy grabbed Harry's hand and they went off to get on their coats, boots, hats, and mittens to go out into the yard to play.

When Harry and Teddy were about ready to head outside, Lucy asked Arthur, "Arthur, how's the ponds ice this year?"

"Pretty good I think, Bill, how about you and I put some strengthening charms on the pond's ice."

"Sure thing, Dad." And Bill and Arthur put on their winter garments to head out as well, cloaks, boots, gloves and hats.

"Ron, you alright with Malcolm if I go outside with all the kiddies?"

"For sure, love! I think he's going to kip soon."

Lucy as well as Fleur, Audrey, Percy, George and Angelina started to get themselves and the children ready to go outside. "I'll be right back," Lucy said and she flooed over to her and Ron's, before coming back with a very large bag and heading outside.

That got Hermione's attention as well, and she started to get her winter clothes on to join the rest heading out into the cold.

Lucy transfigured two logs sitting across the pond into nets and pulled out a bunch of sticks with curved ends as well as round black biscuits.

"What's all this?" Harry asked as he and Teddy came running from around the house, they had been chasing each other with snowballs.

"I'm going to teach you lot how to play hockey."

"Alright, want to Ted?"

"What do we gotta do?"

"Well you see the little black biscuits?"

"Yeah," Teddy replied as the rest gathered around.

"That's a puck and these are hockey sticks," Lucy said as she handed both Harry and Teddy sticks from the bag.

"The object of the game is to get the puck into the net."

"Its like a tiny football goal," Harry observed.

"It is," Lucy nodded.

"You guys wanna play?" She asked of the rest, "Hmm, Teddy, Laura, Molly, Louis, Victorie, come here for a sec." The kids all gathered around. "I'm going to transfigure your hats into helmets so you have a less chance of getting hurt, okay?" Teddy nodded. Victorie just stared at her like, what? And the rest were rather oblivious as their hats were transformed into standard youth hockey helmets with metal cages and mouth guards.

And they all started to play, without any real rules, just attempting at passing the puck around and shooting at the net, more misses then goals. "Yow!" Percy yelled as he got whacked in the shin by someone's stick. He ran over to the sides and summoned a pair of quidditch shin guards from the broom shed and attached them to his legs, the rest of the adults decided that was a good precaution, as they'd been whacked and hit a few times too. Lucy pulled out a pair of shin guards from her bag and put them on over her pants. The rest either summoned or transfigured their own set, and some for the children as well. The rest of the afternoon and into the evening was spent running and slipping and sliding across the pond chasing after the puck and trying to score. The only real injury was when Harry got whacked in the face by an over enthusiastic stick of George whacking at ice and puck and got teeth knocked loose. He luckily didn't swallow and kept playing shoving George and slapping at the puck himself. They all finally went in hours later when Molly called them in for Christmas dinner.

"Harry, why is there blood all over your face?" asked a surprised Ginny. Hermione quickly magiked away the dried bloody mess off of Harry's face.

"Oh, I ran into his mouth … with my stick." George answered.

"I suppose I should've made the adults wear helmets too," Lucy thought out loud. "And that would've been a high sticking penalty George. Harry you look like Bobby Clarke or Stevie Yzerman."

"Who?"

"What's a high sticking?"

"Alright," Harry nodded staring at his bread trying to figure out how to take a bite out of it.

"Rip off a chunk with your side teeth," Lucy advised, "That's what my brother Hank did after loosing a few teeth playing."

"So did you all have fun?" asked Ron, "I've seen a real game on the telewision its like a whole team of beaters bodies flying everywhere without actually flying."

"Why did we let you watch a Flyers game? We should've started you off with a skilled team like the Red Wings, and then you'd see the real finesse of the game. A hockey game can be a hmm, in language you'd understand, a Gryfindor-Slytherin grudge match or a beautiful game of highly tuned chasers passing the quaffle around and picking their spots to score."

And that evening after dinner at the Burrow, as most of the children were nodding off or playing and the adults were chatting around the dining room table something unexpected happened…

"Master Harry."

"Kreacher!" He replied in some shock, rather forgetting about the House Elf he had inherited.

"Do you require my assistance in any way?"

Harry shook his head, "No Kreacher, what have you been doing for the past five years?"

"I've been doing as Master say work at Hogwarts."

"And do you find that work satisfactory?"

"Yes sir, it is good work."

"Why haven't you ever come to see me before?"

"Before you not being in magical area or using magic, you is using magic frequently more. In the summers I was much too busy in cleaning the castle to realize, is why I have not come before. This winter and your magical activity alert me."

"That's fine. Hmm, Andie?" Harry called.

"Yes Harry? Hello Kreacher," she said neutrally to the House Elf.

"Mistress Andromeda." He replied, "Yous been reunited in the family."

"I have."

"Andie, would you like the help of Kreacher in household chores and whatever else you see fit, or would you prefer he remain at Hogwarts?"

"Hmm, how about we have a trial run, Kreacher, you come and help out at my home and if we are both satisfied you can remain or you could then return to Hogwarts?" Andie proposed.

"I have choice? Will try this, going to you house presently." And he popped away.

Early on the twenty-sixth, Harry and Hermione finally made it home after a long, fun and entertaining Christmas day. Hermione looked at Harry, "You do realize you've lost your front teeth, don't you?" She laughed at his broken grin.

"I do, but they're right here in my pocket," and he pulled out the missing teeth.

"I think Mum or Dad should be able to fix that quite easily."

"Good, but don't cha think this'll be a good look for the visit to the ministry, make me look even less like myself."

"I suppose," she kissed him, "Odd to kiss a man missing teeth!"

"Well, its only temporary, I am married to the daughter of two very fine dentists."

"Aw, parents who can surely torture the spouse of their child."

"Ugh, your right, are your parent's off in some way, being dentists after all, an acceptable form of torture!"

"Why do you think I was so happy to get my teeth fixed my Madam Pomfrey rather then braces?"

"True, I'm glad I lucked out with decent teeth."

"Except for the missing ones now, Mister gap tooth," she smiled broadly, showing her even teeth.

"Quit showing off, we know you had help," He laughed.

"Who did Lucy say you looked like?"

"Some hockey people, no idea who they are."

"Hmm, won't this mean Arthur will realize who you are when you show up for the meeting?"

"That's if he has anything to do with the meeting. What does muggle affairs have to do with this anyway?"

"Nothing that I can think of."

"Mmm, kissing you without teeth is weird."

"It sure is," Harry yawned.

Thank you for reading.


	31. The Meeting and Another Beginning

Chapter Thirty-One: The Meeting and Another Beginning

Monday January Seventh, 2002, Harry as Granger went to the ministry for his meeting and congratulations luncheon with the minister. His hair was temporarily dyed a dark brown and he was wearing contacts, which made his usual green eyes brown. He wore a navy suit jacket over a white dress shirt and navy slacks with brown glaze spattered shoes.

"Mister Granger," The Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt said as they sat for lunch, "You look rather familiar, have we met before?"

"Perhaps in passing, Minister," Harry replied.

"What happened to your teeth?" asked Robert "Bob" Roberts of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Species.

"Oh, I was playing a muggle sport with my godson and some friends and got hit in the face with a stick."

"Ow! I can certainly understand that, being whacked in the head with a beaters bat back in my quidditch days at Hogwarts." Bob replied.

"And you're how old, Granger?" asked Cuthbert Mockridge of the Goblin Liaison Office asked.

"Twenty-Two."

"You were involved in the war?" inquired Shack, staring at Harry closely, seeming to try to place him in his memory.

"Was anyone in magical Britain not a part of the war? I don't think anyone here did not feel its effects." Harry evaded the question skillfully, from his years of bending the truth among his non-magical friends.

"Very true. Did you attend Hogwarts?" Asked a fellow with the surname Jorkins.

"I did, for six years, I did not go back for my seventh year. I'm a half-blood, I don't think I would have been welcome."

"Certainly not. Which part of your family is not a pureblood to make them go after you?" Amos Diggory cut in.

"My mother. Also I was known to be friend's with muggleborns."

"Are you married, Granger?" asked Bob.

"I am," He said, showing his left hand, where a simple silver colored band sat.

"That's an interesting ring."

"I made it myself, made my wife's as well."

"You do metal work too then as well, wonderful! What sort of metal is that?"

"Aluminum."

"Interesting choice. How long have you been married?" Shack asked.

"My godson is allergic to silver. I've been married since July."

"Any children or any on the way?"

"No, not yet, we're waiting till the missus finishes up her education."

"Really, and what does she study?"

"She's attending law school."

"And what are your plans, any more schooling. I know your application says you attend a muggle university."

"Indeed, I do. I will be finishing up my undergraduate work in May. After that I plan on continuing my education in the magical forms and applications of art."

"How to do you figure to get into a good institution of magical art without a NEWT score?" Jorkins cut in.

"I did my NEWTS, as did my wife after the war ended, when you let those who missed or had their seventh year interrupted sit them."

"Good, then you shouldn't have a problem, and your winning this contest will make you even more favorable in your applications to magical art schools. Will you be going to the continent?" asked Mister Diggory.

"It's a possibility. Although my wife attends school here, I don't think I would like being separated for so much time."

"I sure do understand that, Maude and I have been married forty some years now, and I still hate it when I have to go out of the country on business and be away for long periods of time." The Head of the Department of Inter-Species Cooperation Enoch Stump replied.

After the introductory lunch, Harry had a long conversation about how to go about implementing his plans with Mockridge, Stump, Diggory and Minister Shacklebolt. They chiefly discussed the way to approach the goblins.

Kingsley Shacklebolt sat sitting in his office that evening thinking about the meeting with the artist, Granger.

Granger, a name he was certainly familiar with.

Was this fellow somehow related?

Why did he seem so very familiar?

What is Hermione Granger up to these days, was she still going about with Harry Potter?

Potter, yes, that's who "Granger" reminded him of! Could it be, does Harry Potter now has artistic aspirations after spending his adolescence fighting a war for the adults? Is he posing as someone else using his best friend's surname?

Hmm.

"Martha,

Could you please send me a list of the marriages for July of this past year?

Thank you,

Shack"

Shacklebolt wrote to his friend in the archive, sending it knowing she would be still be in, what with all the officials working late after the holiday.

"Minister,

This wasn't hard to find Shack.

Martha"

Enclosed was also the list he was asking for.

Amidst the list, on the morning of the twentieth of July he read:

Harry James Potter & Hermione Jean Granger married in a muggle civil ceremony.

"Aha!" He doesn't have to lie about his name, just omit some parts and it is true, Harry must be Granger, they look so similar from the last time I saw him, although now older, more mature, calmer and so very much more relaxed. I must send him a letter. Hmm, but how to get it to him… Longbottom! He must know the real address since "Granger's" post just goes to an Owl box in Diagon. Hmm.

He sent another owl off to Martha in the archives.

In response he got the ministry's last known addresses for both Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.. The address matched the post box for "Granger".

This in addition to the physical similarities, how could it not be anyone but Harry Potter, he just disguised himself enough to throw me off!

Very nice job, Potter, hmm, to reveal you or let the Atrium design go up as a Granger project and reveal later on who really designed it? The insanity of the reaction of it being revealed Potter designed it would probably be too much for Harry, too far into the public eye, it would be better for him if he were instead eased back into the spotlight. Perhaps I shall discuss this with him. It seems as he is planning to return eventually, although as Granger he is already back! What will they do, what will happen when it is revealed Hermione's taken the still even though he's been in the muggle world for years most eligible bachelor in magical Britain. Shack laughed at that thought. He's probably glad fan girls shall no longer chase him; hmm perhaps the whores will still pursue him. Poor fellow, I do not wish the insane popularity of his life on anyone.

On a blustery January Fourteenth, Hermione started law school, taking magical and non-magical courses, for a full and hectic course load, although even with the combined coursework she will finish in about two years. Harry is also in for a chaotic time, with his senior seminar in his concentration as well as one for the department, an advanced painting class, in hopes of continuing to refine his skills for his future advanced studies in magical methods of art and a directed study in sculpture and ceramics to work on things for the two practical seminars. Hmm, looking at their schedules it is a wonder if they will ever see one another. Perchance, if they make a huge effort on a Friday or cleared out a weekend time slot, otherwise they would be supremely occupied.

Neville Longbottom has been having the best year yet. His girlfriend did not go bonkers and end their relationship upon finding out he is a wizard. His grandmother adored Joyce and wants to visit with her again. He was having a grand time being able to lead cases with a team under his command. Life is incredible. He was even thinking about seeing if she wanted to move in together, it would surely be more economical. In that sense he was thinking both of his wishes to see more of her and the fact that she was just scraping by between work and school, it was the selfish want of seeing and being near her, paired with the thought that it would make things easier for her. He was also worrying she'd be scared off by such a move so soon, over thinking probably mostly due to the failure of his last serious relationship. He also knew that he and Joyce were so much better together then he and Joan ever were. Hmm, I need to bring up that Gryfindor courage and just go for it, the worst that could happen is that she says no or not yet.

Friday night, Neville took Joyce out to dinner, casual nothing fancy and he broached the topic. "I have a question, uh," He swallowed, "What would you think if I suggested moving in together? Would you be in favor of that? I know we haven't been together that long, but…" He trailed off looking at her earnestly.

"Really Neville? I was thinking the same thing, talking to some of my friend's asking if they thought I was crazy thinking that already! I really have fallen for you."

"Me too," he grinned bashfully, squeezing her hand clasped in his.

"So how would we do this, I don't think I could move to London with school, not having your means to travel."

"I know, I was thinking if we moved in together here, stay where you are or find someplace else."

"Someplace we could afford together."

"Yes."

"My lease doesn't expire until the end of April, but I may be able to get out of it."

"Mine is up next month, so I just have to give notice whether I plan to stay on or move very quickly."

"Will you move in with me, Neville Longbottom?"

"I will! I'll inform my landlord tomorrow and start packing." He grinned at her.

Thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay, it's been a whirlwind week+ after the x-mas holiday, a funeral, across a few states and, back to college for a week now and forgot to post. Expect Chapter 32 in early February.


	32. A Letter from Shack

Chapter Thirty-Two: A Letter From Shack

February 2002

_Dear Harry and Hermione, _

_Congratulations on your marriage! Yes, Harry, I recognized you even with your disguise, well, rather I suspected. Your name "Granger" is what kept me thinking, until I did a search and discovered your marriage, that's what led me to know for sure, very nice using your best friend and now wife's Granger surname. I got your address from Auror Longbottom, I'm sure he's informed you. Hermione, good luck in law school, do you have a focus? Are you staying in muggle schooling for your further law studies? Harry, to think back in your school days you wanted to be an Auror and now you're an artist and you seem to be finally content with your choices in life. The meeting with you was the calmest, most settled, happiest I have ever seen you, sure you were nervous, but who wouldn't be, at least with your disguise they did not know who you were, which would've led to more fanfare and complications and most likely less focus on your art and more on you. I would like to meet with you and discuss whether you wanted to reveal that you designed the atrium or leave it as the mysterious Granger? I am assuming the latter. Does your discussion at the meeting about your future schooling mean that you are planning on returning to the magical world? Will you apply as "Granger" or will you as yourself? I hope things are going well, have you been following my administration? I have been working on changing the status quo in the magical world. Fortunately, the backlash against the pureblood agenda after the war is fierce. We have been slowly but surely overturning many of the radical anti-creature laws, I would hope that they would make Remus proud and encouraged for his werewolf fellow's futures. Again, I very much hope that you take me up on my offer to meet, whether it is in the muggle world or here or at your home. Either way I wish you both the best for the beginning of your life together. I hope to see you in the future. _

_Sincerely, _

_Kingsley Shacklebolt_

"Have they really finally been improving things for magical creatures?"

"Haven't you been reading the bathroom magazines?"

"Yeah, I've seen some but sometimes I don't make it out of the Quidditch section," He replied sheepishly.

"Been keeping tabs on Lucy and others?"

"Yeah, and Oliver, Angelina, Krum and others I remember from Hogwarts, its always interesting to see familiar names in the headlines. So if Remus were still alive he'd be much better off?"

"Yes, the Umbitch laws were repealed. There have been sweeping reforms. Remus would be able to work with mandatory time off for the full moon, as well as having safe houses for transformations with free wolfsbane potion to ease the terror of it."

"Wow! That's. So, so fantastic! Oh," He bent his head.

"I know, as I read about the reforms I thought about him more and more and the what ifs, we can't think about that, it will not help with the loss. It all just makes it so much better for other's with his furry problem, its now criminal to ostracize them, equal rights for "part" human creatures."

Harry leaned back into the couch smiling at his lovely wife. "How do you find the time to read about the news in both worlds as well as all of your texts and write your briefs?"

She grinned, "I read in the loo, why do you think it sometimes takes me so long?"

"I just figured you weren't feeling so well or fell asleep," He laughed, throwing his arm over her shoulders pulling her closer. "What are your plans for the evening?"

"Mm, hopefully seeing you, are you free?"

"Certainly, if I have the options of work on things tomorrow and see you today, I'd pick you every time."

"Me too."

"Shall we write Shack back?"

"How about later?" She asked as she crawled into his lap and started kissing him.

Sometime that evening, Hermione and Harry were sitting at the kitchen table to write the letter to Shack.

"Dear Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt." Harry said as a starting point.

"Really, so formal, love?"

"Can we really say Dear Shack, dear?"

"Mmm, probably not to the Minister of Magic."

"So stick with formal language to start?" Harry asked.

"I suppose since I can't think of any informal ways that would work. How about we begin with thanking him for the well wishes on our marriage?"

"Sounds good," Harry replied. "Shall we just stick with the simple things like we are willing to meet with him? Keep it short and concise?"

"Yeah, direct seems to me to be the best way. We can speak with him more in depth when we meet with him."

"Yeah, safer then through post." Hermione continued to write up the letter.

"Right." Harry read the letter, "Looks good."

Hermione concluded the letter: 'Sincerely, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter.' 

In mid-March the schedules for Harry, Hermione and Kingsley finally lined up enough to meet.

They met up at their apartment, Kingsley bringing in orders of takeout. "I'm glad our schedules coincided, took long enough!" The former Auror laughed.

"What'd you bring us to eat?" Harry asked, rather famished after a morning of working in the studios.

"Various curries, hope that works?"

"Sounds delicious!" Hermione exclaimed as Harry grinned.

The three old acquaintances sat around the table dishing up food onto their plates.

"So you got married and didn't invite me?"

"Well.. It was quite short notice, we didn't invite a lot of people."

"True, Harry, you got Hermione Granger to do something spontaneous?"

Harry laughed, "She just hides that side very well."

"I suppose," The Minister replied. "So Hermione, Harry said your attending law school?"  
"I am, in both worlds, though I'd assume by now you've dug up quite a bit about us with your connections."

"Hmm, you have always been quick. I didn't do too much digging, just asked Longbottom about the both of you. Do you have a specialization?"

"I'm focusing on equality and precedence for it here and abroad."

"Hmm, quite the hot topic in our world these days, you should be able to find a job as soon as you finish up your schooling. Probably with a finger snap if who your husband is leaks."

"Haha, your kidding right, I've been gone for four plus years now, I can't possibly still have that much pull."

"Come now, Harry. You know you do, why else would you hide your identity for the atrium project. You are "The Boy Who Lived" and eventually defeated Voldemort and then vanished in the pre dawn light of a Hogwarts morning. People know you occasionally appear at the Weasley's thus are still alive, but otherwise they want to know why you've gone, why you've abandoned them, others just think eh the boy deserves a break after saving our asses. Let him pick and choose where he wants to be when and he can come back or not, his choice. I find it interesting that you reappear connected, though no one but I know for sure so connected to such a public project. I'm guessing your going to pull the I'm much too busy with my schooling card to avoid appearing in public and really letting the questions run wild if people who know you spot you out."

"You have that right. I'd like the project to remain under the mysterious Granger. I'd apply to graduate school with a pseudonym but then no one would take me seriously if I did that, as who would trust me saying I have so and so degree see as this name oh and this name. I'm going to hopefully get in on my own merits not on my name. Or I sure as fuck hope."

"I'd hope if you were the worst artist alive even with your name recognition you'd not be accepted if you didn't deserve it. Its not like you sit there with your smiling face as they review your portfolio."

"That's right! They'll see my portfolio on its own merits, who I am shouldn't come up till the face to face interviews." Harry sighed, "Some of those are coming up soon, I'm nervous, but feeling good about my work and that I can defend it with all my worth, on its merits and defects."

"A shame those faculties won't know about your crowning achievement artistically to date."

"Oh well," Harry shrugged, "I'll only regret the big prize I've won and not publicized if my work crashes and burns, it obviously hasn't as I have interviews for schools." He smiled.

"I think this is the most tranquil I have ever seen the two of you. Not having a war and the constant possible death of your friends certainly helps, hell, back then I thought you'd both end up married to Weasley's. You suit one another much better then the youngest Weasley's. They aren't stupid but they never did seem to understand the important things to each of you. Ron never seemed to get what was really important until the very end, now I think he's surely got it, he's a man much more suited to peacetime and the struggles and actions of it then a time of war, where while he does have a fairly strategic friendly mind, he oh just doesn't want to remove it from chess or quidditch, I'm surprised how well he's adapted to his office post. Ginny's only truly front line experience would be the last battle and if you count being one of Longbottom's lieutenants under Headmaster Snape," Kingsley laughed at the last part, "Still seems so very odd that, that double agent so many times over was ever Headmaster."

Harry and Hermione just smiled and nodded, having heard many accounts of their friend's and their own relationships in the past and present many times over, from said friends even.

They ate in silence for a bit, "I am assuming with your application to magical art academies and Hermione's duel law program that you plan to return."

"We do plan to come back," Hermione replied. "We've been grateful for this respite in normalcy, but we're a part of both worlds. We need not abandon one. True, it would be easy to stay here, out of the spotlight, out of the insanity of Harry's fame, but we're not cowards, and we'll face that spotlight in our own time. We'll deal with it, we'll work our hardest to put on a good front for the public, probably will have to give a few interviews but through it all stress that we're just like everyone else and they shouldn't worship any of us. We do idiotic things like everyone else, we just want to live in a world where others aren't persecuted for who they are or who their parent's are. We think, I'll fight for that to happen. I'm working my arse off to have a good knowledge base to defend anything they throw at me in the fight."

"Don't worry, Hermione, I'm behind you, my ministry is behind that. We've passed more laws that will bring that about then magical Britain's ever seen before; the bigots' metaphorical throats have been slit. And my ministry doesn't plan to stop now, sure we'll face pressure, we already have from the other side, but the people, the common folks are against them. It's a great new world in which they can for the first time actually be heard, its so very refreshingly different from the ministry I came up the ladder in."

"How do you know you're not in your very own little bubble, Shack?" Harry asked.

"My wife, my family, my friend's, my senior advisors, I've made sure from Day One that I stay grounded, have people around me who aren't Yes Men. I read the newspapers, the positive and negative opines, I've been ensuring that I get all sides."

"What about the criminal element, the black market, knockturn?"

"You didn't know? Knockturn's been seemingly bought out or absorbed by the rest of the alleys. The riff-raff that was there has been either arrested, disappeared or are dead. That was a big recruiting ground for Voldemort's base, when you took him down, we rounded up the stragglers that weren't beat on the grounds of Hogwarts. Don't worry, it's taken a long time, but everyone's gotten a trial."

"On to happier subjects, how did your last meeting go, will the ground breaking go as planned?"

"Yes, its all coming as it should. The Goblins are nearly finished with the stonework already. We've contracted out with a firm that works in both worlds to do the etching of the names, will be nice and uniform, machine done, that's the cleanest quickest way to get so much of that work done. I visited them a few days ago, the first couple plates are looking fantastic."

"The names are all on metal plates that will then be inset into the stone columns and walls of the ministry's atrium, right?"

"Yes, you did a through look at my plans, eh Minister?"

"I did. I didn't want some of those suits to pick something that's not a fitting memorial to our lost friends and relatives. They picked a supremely worthy and tasteful piece."

"I just thought of how I'd like to see my friend's memorialized. I didn't want anything ostentatious like the fountain of magical brethren that used to sit in the atrium. I wanted something solemn, elegant, which did its job simply and showed a sense of our connection to what was lost, with the fountain and benches made of fallen Hogwarts rubble and hewn by the Goblins. The very simple sheets of bronze etched nameplates inset into the walls and pillars. Cooperation to commemorate all that was lost. The names aren't just humans, there are goblins, centaurs, house elves, everyone that was lost, the names that we know of are to be listed, there are of course still unknowns, but that can't really be helped. Your departments have reached out to see if any names are missing. So far, we have apparently gotten everyone, thus have started the process of making the nameplates. The bronze may even be from the melted down statues from the fountain."

They all laughed at that.

Thank you for reading! Sorry for the late update, next chapter in March, maybe April if I'm too nuts from my review.


	33. A Decision and Ron's Musings

Chapter Thirty-Three: A Decision and Ron's Musings

House hunting was happening intermittently between Harry and Hermione's hectic schedules. Today, they were off to look at a townhouse not too far from Diagon Alley, an area which sprung up in the post war boom of muggleborns and half-bloods wanting the best of both worlds, easy access to the magical world and the comforts and necessities of the wider world. The place was simple and with magical modifications could get bigger, yet for two newlyweds it would be much more room then they would ever need. Nearly everything on their wish list was included, a fantastic place for a library, good areas that could be turned into studio space as well as a perfect basement if Harry wanted to set up a ceramic workshop, a small garden, but if landscaped a bit and maybe another tree or three would be a welcome relief from the city around it. The place had enough room for whenever they decided to have children for all of them to be comfortable. In essence, they found their perfect home. Not too far away from the city rather in it, although of course, they couldn't fly around on brooms in the backyard, but Harry could always go visit Ron for that.

they got home from looking at the townhouse, they sat on their couch looked at each other and said simultaneously, "That's the one. Lets call Maggie now and get her to send us the paperwork."

"Love, should we pay for it all now or over a course of years?" Hermione asked him.

"We could pay for it all now? Without ever working a steady job, we have that much?"

"Yeah, didn't you know? I mean it'd cut into a pretty chunk of it, but we'd own a house."

"Fuck I need to read those papers, Hermione, I promise I'll read them when the terms over, okay? I do plan on taking the summer as a bit of a breather and to get us situated before I hopefully start school again in the fall."

"Oh, that'll be nice and I was thinking boxes for a few years wouldn't be too bad," she laughed.

"Wait, your really not kidding! You really are a workaholic. We're going to have to find some way to temper that!"

"You already do that just fine, if it weren't for you I'd probably be working myself into an early and blind grave," she laughed.

"Well I sure am glad I'm saving you from all that. Alas if Hermione hadn't met her Harry and Ron she may've never lightened up!"

Hermione let out a guffaw, "I'm sure I would've with a good amount of booze."

That led to him saying with a straight face, "Now that may just be a disaster with your studies. I'm sure glad we're not to that point," and then he cracked a silly smile.

"Oh it would, I mean you try to write a brief with a herd of hippogriffs rampaging through your head."

"So are you going to call?"

"Yes," and she pulled out her mobile phone and called there real estate broker.

After some time on the phone, she said, "Thank you," and hung up, all the while with Harry sitting there tapping a beat on the arm of the sofa.

"So?" He asked as she hung up.

"She's going to do the background check and look into our financials… she's starting the process of us buying the house, if everything comes back clean, we're good."

"Damn are we lucky she handles both worlds, trying to explain why we look like we're really badly off financially in the muggle world… but in a secret world that they don't know about we're filthy rich."

Hermione smirked in reply.

March, now Ron has turned twenty-two. He is still reveling in his new fatherhood, enjoying the happy first moments and even the not so happy moments like stinky diapers and unhappy fits of crying, though those are rare. Malcolm is a happy baby. He is pleasant wanting to look around and watch everything around him. He loved it when Ron or Lucy took him up on a broom, he laughed and laughed as they flew through the air. Of course they never went very fast or high and kept him tightly strapped to there chest in some sort of muggle contraption Lucy's parent's had sent. He found it rather absurd that his sister and Colin were planning a birthday bash for their Bradley's first birthday, he's a year old what does he need some huge shindig for? He'll probably be afraid of the candles! He was expecting Bradley to smash his face and arms in the cake and then keep on mashing. Didn't they see the cake from Victories' first birthday, we were all lucky Mum had a backup or we'd have been eating a slobbery smashed up mess, though Vic sure did enjoy it! I certainly would as well Ron chuckled to himself. Percy learned from that and certainly did it right giving his babies twin tiny cakes and a big one for the rest of the bunch. I'm glad Mum, Dad, and Luce didn't go crazy for my birthday, I really didn't want a fuss, I'm glad it was a quiet affair. Hmm, I wonder if Lucy's decided to play this season or not, I know her least favorite thing about being pregnant was missing most of the season, it would be tough to juggle everything with work, but I think we could handle it with help, perhaps Harry would like to spend his summer caring for Malcolm, Ron laughed at that thought, though his best mate sure was good with Teddy, wouldn't be bad to see if he'd like to. Hmm, that's if they're even in the country this summer. I'm glad he's been accepted to study here rather then abroad, I'd miss him too much, we still don't see enough of him and Hermione, I miss my best friend's, but then again we're three people with different lives, we're in different places amidst them too, funny to think of the three of us me, Ron Weasley is the one with a steady job, ha! To think that at Hogwarts with Hermione blowing us all away with her smarts. Then again, I think this is a better more balanced path for her, she'll be able to surely defend and attack against anything that comes her way, well if she gets involved in politics or joins the ministry, she was already brilliant, now she's well armed or will be by the time she finishes school, wow wouldn't want to have to argue against her! And Harry, who would've thought he'd be anything but an Auror back in school, did anyone pin him for anything else? No of bloody course not, I'm happy he's happy and can just be him now after all that pressure. Bloody hell, I still feel like an idiot for leaving them, why was I so thick and such an immature blockhead back then. Hmm, looking back, sure I was hurt when they went away after the war, yet I really understand it, who wouldn't need a break after what we went through, Harry especially! It shall be interesting to see how they reintegrate themselves into our world, what will they do, how will regular people react?

He heard Malcolm fussing over the baby monitor. Well I better go grab the little one and see what's the matter.

Question readers: Now that they are moving into there own place, Should Crookshanks reappear?

Thanks for reading & posted on time! Next chapter: April, probably not the first few days, as it'll be just after my pass-fail review for my program. My roommate has already decided that we're not going to be sober that weekend, so don't expect an update till the hangover wears off.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four:

One afternoon in April, Ron popped over to Hermione and Harry's apartment. Ron is hoping to catch Harry in between classes or studio time. He knocked on the door. Thirty seconds later he was let in by Hermione. "Ron, what a pleasant surprise," she greeted, looking haggard and stepping aside to let him in.

"When was the last time you slept, Hermione?" Ron replied cheerfully as she shut the door and locked it behind him.

"I slept last night," she replied fervently.

"For what two hours," He replied teasing before plopping down on the sofa.

Hermione stopped suddenly, "How'd you guess?"

"Remember we lived together off and on for seven years."

"Yeah, yeah," She replied as she fell onto the sofa beside him. "So what's brought you by, Ron? Why didn't you bring Malcolm with?"

"He was napping. Lucy didn't have any training today so she's home with him."

"Have you decided what you're going to do, is Lucy going to play this season?"

"She's ramped up her preparation to be ready for the season, so I think so. I'm going to wait till his second year to take my time off to be with him."

"What will you do in the meantime?"

"That's kind of what I stopped in for, Harry's not hiding in here anywhere is he?"

"No, he's in the studios, I haven't seen him since yesterday morning when he grabbed a thermos of coffee and took off."

"So that's why you're not sleeping," Ron grinned.

"NO, I was working on a brief." She protested.

"Uh huh," He replied disbelievingly.

"Really Ron, we're not THAT dependent on each other."

"I know you're both very independent people, alas your both much more easygoing when you've spent copious amounts of time together."

"But we're busy, we don't have time…. I hope Harry comes home and sleeps tonight."

"Aww, poor Hermione missing her snuggle bear."

"Oh shut up Ron! But you're right, it's odd now to sleep alone!"

"I agree a hundred percent there, when Lucy's off on road trips some nights I can hardly fall asleep. I'm sure it'll be better now that Mal will be there at least."

"Yeah," She sighed.

"So are you and Harry thinking about babies anytime soon?"

"No, not for awhile yet. We want to have one eventually but not now. I want to be settled into a job before we do and he wants to be finished with his graduate work."

"Oh good! I'm glad you're being practical about it rather then jumping in headfirst without thinking on it."  
"Hey, we don't usually do that."

"You got married on what three days notice."

"Four and a half."

Ron chuckled, "Kids are much more work then they seem, like now, you probably think all Mal does is just eat, poop and sleep, he does those things, but there's so much more then that, Oh! I should start baby proofing for when he starts crawling! Make sure you're ready, don't just dive in."

"I know Ron and Harry knows."

"Good, and if you want some experience your welcome to watch Mal for a few hours. Actually, I may as well run this by you."  
"What?"

"Do you think Harry might be interested in watching Mal while Lucy and I are at work this summer? I know you're moving and want to get settled in before he starts grad school, but it'd be a good change of pace and unpacking shouldn't take all summer."

"He might be willing, you'd have to ask him. We've both been so busy trying to finish up everything that we haven't had much time to figure out the summer beyond we're moving and I'm taking classes during the spring and summer terms."

"I'll ask him."

"I'm surprised you aren't leaving him with your mum."

"I think he's lost in the shuffle over there between Vic, Molly, Laura, Louie and Brad. I don't know how Mum does it with all of our children and us before that. Its mass chaos all the time, just like growing up minus the explosions."

"You'd prefer Mal getting more one on one attention."

"Yeah, Luce's mom is coming over for the first month of the season, so that will help, but after May, I'm not sure what we're going to do."

"So you came up with asking Harry if he wants to babysit his godson."

"Yup, if Harry's up for it Lucy is for it as well."

"Glad you have permission," She laughed.

"Hardy har har."

George Weasley and Angelina Johnson are engaged, and have been for sometime. And since they told their families they had gotten nothing but pestering about setting a damn date, as they thought of it now. They would prefer to take things at their own leisurely pace, they thought about pulling a Ginny-Dennis and eloping someday, but were not yet sure what to do and so far, they were in no hurry to become official. Another option was to try a Harry and Hermione and spring it on everyone last minute; either decision would probably piss their families off marvelously. Their plan is for a very long engagement as George works on ensuring the influence and success of his late brother Fred's and his shop and Angelina pursuing her professional Quidditch career. Their thoughts are much like Harry and Hermione, settle into a good life together and work on their professional aspirations, plan for their future, and have children if or when they are good and ready for it.

Just after the end of the winter term, Hermione and Harry moved into their new home. The ground floor contains a sitting room, a bathroom, the kitchen and the area where Harry intended to make into his studio space. Just prior to moving in, he had ventilation and soundproofing installed, as well as a trap door to and from the basement, which will contain his kiln and more studio space. The second floor will be an office and the library and contains what will be a guest room. The third floor contains the master bedroom as well as two more rooms that could eventually be bedrooms or a study as well as another bathroom. The fourth floor they are as of yet unsure as to its purpose yet, storage for now.

Harry outfitted his studio with the tools most necessary to get jobs done. An old stick welder and numerous hammers for different metal applications and of course torches for brazing and small metal works. Amidst all the torches he had, big butcher-block tables to hammer and form metal on, along the walls are benches with firebricks for working on. He was more then lucky to have the financial ability to buy a bit more then just the basics for an in-house studio.

AN: My three plus months of letting my life be entirely consumed by printmaking are over and I passed my review. Now that I might have a life beyond the studio (who am I kidding), I am kicking around a few ideas on how this story progresses, this is my last completed chapter. I have lots written haphazardly in a document, inspiration will strike and I'll write again, hopefully another chapter by the end of May. I wrote some including my favorite part of this chapter among the insanity.

*as of last chapter this is now my longest story to date, finally passed up my horrific first story.

Thanks for reading!


	35. As ordinary as can be

Chapter Thirty-Five: As ordinary as can be

In June, Harry began to watch Malcolm. He wondered going in what do you do with a six month old. He had a good idea of what not to do, no hammering and no fire. Quickly they settled into a routine which typically included Harry and Malcolm in the basement, Mal in a bouncy chair or a activity chair and Harry hand building clay on the table or at the wheel as Mal babbled at him and Harry spoke back at the baby, giving him step by step instructions on what he was doing or singing at him, which led to Malcolm jabbering back at him or laughing. Then they would eat lunch and sit or lay on the floor in the library or first floor sitting room and Malcolm would hopefully have a nap.

One mid-morning Harry set Mal in his highchair, before getting his lunch ready. He defrosted one of the green cubes from the freezer on the stove, "Hmm Malcolm looks like your having green today." He leaned his head down and sniffed it, "Smells like broccoli, you like broccoli!"

Malcolm laughed at him.

He mixed up a bottle of formula as the broccoli cubes melted.

He realized this was the age, the first half year or so that he missed out on with Teddy. They visited occasionally, but as he was still struggling with a new life, they did not start spending lots of time consistently until after Teddy's first birthday. He remembered Ted being an easy baby like Malcolm, but with few long visits, what did he really know? The existence of Mal and baby Bradley still shocked Harry, his best mate and his best mate's sister who was also his Hogwarts sweetheart both having children! He is happy to enjoy his time with his wife as they settle into a hopefully long life together with their own children, someday, in the future. Being twenty-two he knew it was much too soon for his own kids, godsons to return to their parent's were great for now.

Harry is enjoying his days with Malcolm; it's relaxing as opposed to the chaos that is each semester in school, constant guidelines and deadlines. It is a nice easy flowing pattern, watching Malcolm until Lucy gets out of practice or games or Ron gets off work, whichever happens first, then working on his own work, planning out other projects, occasionally going on forays to junkyards and shops to pick up supplies he could acquire locally. Preparing dinner for Hermione, the time to actually cook! Sure Hermione is still going non-stop with summer courses, but they'll have their break in August. Nearly a month to relax, recharge and breathe before starting it all over once more for another year of school.

Harry thought about taking a year off, but thought again, that if he did, would he go back? There was still so much to learn! Not going back would mean experimentations on his own, some that other's have solved, other's that they haven't, of course he wouldn't know that without lots of research. Also he would be learning a whole other side of his media, the magical side, people were surely going to discover Harry back in the magical world with his starting school he was sure, but to learn more about his craft was surely worth it. The magical side of sculpture was sure to bring a whole new element, ideas and wonders he could apply, new techniques and challenges to explore! While daunting to think of his rusty charms and transfiguration skills, he figured it would be just like they say riding a bike after a long time would be like, well if he knew how to ride a bike, getting started and he's off.

""""""""""""""""""""

Harry lit the burner under the kettle on the stove and then ground up enough coffee beans for the day. He put the fresh grounds into the coffee pot and set it to begin dripping. Hmm, what do I want for breakfast? What would Hermione like? Well, waters going for oatmeal or tea. Toast. He pulled a loaf of bread from the cupboard above the coffee pot, grabbed a breadknife from the butcher's block on the refrigerator and cut off four slices from the loaf of some sort of whole-wheat grainy looking bread from a local bakery. He put two slices into the toaster and went back to the refrigerator for eggs. He pulled out a frying pan and started frying himself a couple of over easy eggs. Hermione came down just as the kettle began to whistle, "Morning love," She greeted.

"How would you like your eggs?" He replied in greeting as she reached in front of him and switched off the burner the kettle was on.

"Mmm, whatever your having," She yawned, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Toast?" He asked as he plopped cooked eggs onto a plate, before starting two more.

Rather then replying she pulled out the two slices from the toaster and popped in two more. "Jam?"

"No. Do we have any orange juice?"

"Want a glass?"

"Please," He replied yawning. "Do you want oatmeal?"

"A bit I suppose."

"The waters ready for that, make me up some too?"

"What do you want in it?"

"What do we have?"

She opened a cupboard. "Almonds, dried cranberries and blueberries, honey, brown sugar."

"Oh, berries and nuts and a bit of honey."

"Okay." She made up two bowls of oatmeal and set them at the kitchen table with their drinks.

Harry brought over their plates of eggs and toast and sat down across from her.

"What's on your docket today?"

She yawned, "Oh, the normal, classes and filing at the internship. You?"

"Quality time with Mal and hoping to get a bit more done before he gets here."

"Your really having fun with him aren't you?"

"Would be more fun if Ron wasn't terrified he'd eat my clay then I could let him play with it."

"Harry, he's six months old, he'd eat it."

"Would it really hurt him, I'm pretty sure I ate more dirt then food as a toddler."

Hermione frowned at him, "But he doesn't have to."

"Have to? Grass doesn't taste too bad, Dudders was the one making me eat the dirt."

"I'm sure Mal will agree with the grass. His parent's probably would too, especially Ron, if he thought it'd help the Cannons win."

"Hey, they are approaching the five wins a season mark."

"Are there not thirty or so matches a season?"

"So, it is an improvement, remember how many years they were zero and thirty or so."

"No, and I don't think you do either."

"I don't, but I feel like I do, Ron is obsessed! I wonder which teams Sirius and Remus and Dad rooted for, do you remember if anyone ever mentioned?"

"Did that ever come up?"

"Not that I know of, not sure who there would be to ask anymore either."

"McGonagall or Hagrid perhaps?"

"Maybe, next time I make it up there I'll ask. When did I last make it up there?"

"Uh.. you and I both know that answer."

"Yeah. I wonder what ol'Dumblydore would think of what I'm doing now. Haha, no longer having to save the world, just able to be happy."

"I would hope he would support whatever made you content, alas what did we really know about our Headmaster?"

Harry shrugged. "Have you looked at my textured reliefs, yet?"

"Oh, so that's what your doing and that explains the stump in the backyard too?"

"Indeed it does," He grinned.

AN:*Harry's relief is from my own works, I did one before last term ended (of concrete) and am planning more in the fall, I'm endeavoring to print them.

Sorry for the delay and briefness, I am experiencing a down turn in inspiration; expect sporadic updates, hopefully I will write more and have a backlog again before my last semester begins. Harry's thoughts on his work are similar to my own. I have senior exhibition in the fall so will be going "balls to the wall" to create my best work possible, probably living on caffeine and granola bars again and then I am done with my BFA and am planning on applying to MFA programs, I'm unsure how much free time I will have till January. I'm also hoping to finally catch up on the HP movies, I last saw number 4, I'm behind.

Thanks for reading!


	36. Chapter 36 Joy and Terror

Chapter Thirty-Six: Joy and Terror

Harry sat on the floor of the den with Malcolm.

He ate a bowl of cereal.

Mal watched the fish and babbled to the room.

Since that first bowl with a goldfish in it, which to Harry's dismay did not live long, he had moved up in the pet fish world. He now had his own little ocean in the den. Coral, algae and even some small sculptures he created for his trove of fix to live, to hide and chase one another about in. Harry would often, as Malcolm is right now, get lost in the sights of the tank watching the fish shimmer to and fro, dash about, disappear, scare up others and the dance continuing.

There was just something about watching these creatures that could spawn a million ideas and hours of entertainment.

As the summer wound down, Harry's trepidation at starting his new magical studies grew, as did his excitement. The lingering doubts, am I good enough, do I have the skill, the background to do this? This is so much more then what I have been doing, so many skills I do not necessarily have. But his excitement over exploring these new concepts is what encouraged him it would all be worth it, the days of work; years of training would make him better at his craft, as well as beyond.

Harry lay in the backyard of the Burrow with Mal sleeping on his chest, Ron and George sprawled around him.

"I'm starting to think that kid likes his Uncle Hare more then 'is Mum and Dad," George joked.

"Of course he does, I let him eat dirt and don't throw a fuss about it, like some people," Harry cracked back.

"Harry! It was a whole ball of clay, its my baby, I'm not letting him eat a giant chunk of clay, Georgie here made me eat enough to know its not good coming back out!"

"I wasn't letting him eat it, Ron, just play with it."

"Then why did I pull a whole wad of it out of his hair?"

"I missed some?"

"Why didn't you just summon it all off him, boys?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other and laughed, Harry's shaking chest causing Mal to stir before settling back into slumber. "Because there doofusses," Lucy said as she walked up and loomed over the gentlemen. "It was hilarious to watch Ron try to clean Mal up that day, totally forgot his magic, scrub, scrub, soap, bath. When Malcolm started fussing I stepped in and saved your poor brother, Georgie."

"I still don't understand why you made me suffer and torture are baby."

"Well, at first it was just too cute.. Then I realized I better save you before you did irreparable harm."

"Is that why you let me watch him all summer, he's too young to remember any horrors about his time with Uncle Harry?"

"No, we put him with you because he likes you, your good with him."

Ron cut in, "And your dirt cheap!"

Harry grinned and laughed.

o

"When are you having one of your own, Hermione?" Molly snuck up behind her and asked as she looked out at the group on the lawn.

"Eventually Molly, not yet."

"Oh, but your both so good with the children."

"That's different, we can give them back," Hermione laughed.

Molly shook her head, "Don't your parent's want grandkids?"

"They probably do eventually, but they also encouraged their daughter to work hard, and be set in her career first."

"But."

Hermione cut her off, "Don't worry Molly, when we're ready we will. Right now, there is just too much going on in both of our lives to bring anyone else into it. Harry's transitioning into studies in magic and art, depending on his focus, that could take years, we probably won't wait a decade, but if that's what we need, we just might."

"So your going to wait till all the cousins are in Hogwarts?" Ginny asked coming into the conversation.

"I don't know, I don't know, we're waiting, don't worry about it!" Hermione frantically replied as the Weasley women tried to close her into some answer more to their liking, or so it seemed to her.

Ginny laughed at her terrified face, "Relax, Hermionesie, Mum may be serious but I'm just messing with you. When your ready, your ready, or you fuck up and woops."

"Ginny!" Molly reprimanded.

"What Mum, at least in some cases its less messy then muggle means."

"Muffin?" Fluer interjected.

"Oh!" Ginny crammed a muffin into her own mouth and shoved another into her mother's face to stop whatever was going to come out next.

Hermione chuckled, "Thank you, Fluer," as the older women winked at her.

f

"Be glad you were out in the yard love, I thought Molly was going to start interrogating me on why we're waiting to have children and not just doing everything at once."

"Wouldn't that be unfair to a child to bring them into our haphazard, chaotic lives right about now?"

"YES!"

"Would it not make more sense for your parent's to be the ones bugging us about kids.. Not, our best friend's mother?"

"If we weren't essentially adopted Weasley's I'd say yes, but is it terrifying or flattering to be treated just like her brood?"

"Both. Its definitely a mixture of both." He shrugged, before flopping back onto the sofa, "Always makes me wonder how my parent's would react to all this."

Hermione sat down settling in, snuggling up to his side, "Hey, don't let the wonderings and what if's get to you, if you like we can speculate and guess and have fun making up insane plots."

Harry turned his head to look right at her and started grinning, the grin grew wider and his eyes lit up, "No, I don't want to imagine worse then Molly," and they sprawled together in laughter.

AN: Look for the next chapter, probably in January… I'm swamped between classes, preparing for my senior show, grad school apps, next month job hunt for Dec/Jan too! Thank you for reading and sticking with me.


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